Full Time: Southampton 2-3 Chelsea
Olivier Giroud scored a brace to inspire Chelsea to a dramatic 3-2 comeback win at Southampton on Saturday.
The Blues looked destined to suffer a sixth defeat in nine league outings after Dusan Tadic and Jan Bednarek gave Southampton a commanding lead. However, Antonio Conte threw Giroud on after Southampton’s second goal and the decision proved to be a masterstroke as the Frenchman made a telling contribution.
Giroud pulled one back with a brilliant header with 20 minutes remaining, to spark a late Chelsea comeback. Eden Hazard equalised for the Blues before Giroud powered home the third to wrap up an unlikely victory to leave Southampton in the relegation zone.
Chelsea Player Ratings
Thibaut Courtois – 5/10
Courtois was not at fault for the two Southampton goals but he made a couple of smart saves towards the end.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 3/10
Azpilicueta struggled badly to cope with Southampton’s pace. Ryan Bertrand and Dusan Tadic gave him a torrid time in the first half. However, he improved after the break.
Andreas Christensen – 5/10
Christensen was given a tough time by Shane Long all afternoon but he coped with it. Calm and composed, the Dane didn’t do too much wrong.
Gary Cahill – 4/10
Another shocking display from the Chelsea skipper. Not only Cahill struggled to deal with the pace of Long, he was at fault for Southampton’s second goal.
Davide Zappacosta – 3/10
He was a mere passenger on the right-hand side as Bertrand and Tadic enjoyed a field day against him.
Marcos Alonso – 5/10
Alonso was lucky to escape a red card as the referee failed to spot his horrendous challenge on Long. He put in a superb cross for Giroud to score in the 70th minute.
Cesc Fabregas – 5/10
Fabregas was much better than his recent outings. He was always looking for openings with his wide range of passing. Put in a good shift at St.Mary’s.
N’Golo Kante – 6/10
Kante was his usual self, covering a lot of ground and doing the dirty work for the Blues.
Willian – 6/10
Industrious and clever as always, Willian constantly looked to link up with his teammates. He put in a good ball from the left for Hazard to score the equaliser.
Eden hazard – 6/10
A frustrating first-half performance saw Hazard fail to influence the game. He improved after the break and scored the important equaliser.
Alvaro Morata – 3/10
Morata endured a tough time against the likes of Maya Yoshida and Jan Bednarek in the Southampton defence. He lacked the cutting edge and was rightfully hauled off on the hour mark.
Substitutes
Olivier Giroud – 8/10
The hero for Chelsea; Giroud scored his first Premier League goals for the Blues, helping them to a 3-2 comeback victory. He sparked the comeback when the game looked dead and buried.
Pedro – 5/10
Pedro was sent on to add more impetus to the attack. The substitution worked for Conte.
Victor Moses – N/A
He hardly made an impact.
