Southampton vs Chelsea LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction tonight
Chelsea look to banish shaky start to season when they travel to Southampton
Romeo Lavia and Adam Armstrong condemned Chelsea to a 2-1 defeat as Southampton leapfrogged the lacklustre Blues in the Premier League.
Teenage midfielder Lavia became the first player born in 2004 to score in the Premier League with a fine strike at St Mary’s Stadium, before Armstrong broke a 22-game duck as Saints stunned Chelsea.
The visitors had led through Raheem Sterling’s third goal in two games, only for Southampton to turn the game on its head in a challenging night for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
Chelsea might be a team in transition with more big-name and big-money arrivals just around the corner courtesy of bullish new owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. But the top-four-hunting Blues should still not be in the business of losing a clash like this against a remodelled and youthful, but admittedly gritty, Southampton.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s rejuvenated Saints jumped ahead of Chelsea into seventh place in the table, with a major win for the south coast men.
Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
84 mins: Time is running out for Chelsea and they don’t really look like scoring. Southampton seem nervous though and they’ve started to back away from the Blues.
Ralph Hasenhuttl has noted this and makes a swap. Lyanco comes on for Adam Armstrong to shore up the Saints defence.
Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
81 mins: Chelsea work the ball into the area and Pulisic takes a shot. Bella-Kotchap blocks the effort and scoops it clear.
The Blues recover the ball and switch it over to Sterling on the left side. He floats a cross into the middle and Broja heads the ball at goal. He nods it down and Bazunu smothers the ball at the near post.
Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
78 mins: Pulisic tries to get forward down the right side but runs into Armstrong who stops his run. Diallo follows it up and takes the ball of the American who is too forceful in his recovery and fouls the Southampton midfielder, picking up a yellow card in the process.
Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
75 mins: Despite Chelsea being behind it’s Southampton who are in the ascendancy. They’re hammering the visitor’s back line with crosses into the box, mainly from the right wing.
Raheem Sterling tries to storm forward on the counter but he’s unable to catch a cleared ball before it runs out of play,
Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
72 mins: Che Adams wins Southampton a corner and James Ward-Prowse slowly strolls over to take the set piece. Ralph Hasenhuttl takes the opportunity to make another change with Moussa Djenepo replacing Romain Perraud.
The corner ball is swung into Mohammed Salisu who nods the ball at goal only for Thiago Silva to clear it off the line! Incredible scenes.
Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
69 mins: Changes! Thomas Tuchel brings on three players and switches up the Chelsea formation. Armando Broja, Christian Pulisic and Ben Chilwell are all introduced to replace Jorginho, Kai Havertz and Cesar Azpilicueta.
The Blues have switched to three at the back with Marc Cucurella playing at left centre-back. Pulisic and Chilwell have slotted into the wingbacks positions.
Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
66 mins: Chance! This is the best opportunity Kai Havertz has had all night. Azpilicueta and Ziyech combine on the right wing before the Blues’ captain flicks it over to the six-yard box.
Havertz is wide open but has to lean back to reach the ball and sends his header over the crossbar.
Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
63 mins: Ward-Prowse fires a free kick over the pitch to play Perraud in on the opposite wing. The Southampton defender loses control of the ball as he tries to chest it down and Havertz gets between him and the ball, competently shielding it out for play.
Chelsea win the throw in but they’re struggling to play out from the back. Southampton’s press is quite forceful.
Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
60 mins: Chelsea have an attack ruled out for offside but Romeo Lavia has tweaked something making a block to stop Hakim Ziyech’s effort at goal.
Maybe as a precaution Ralph Hasenhuttl brings on Joe Aribo to replace him. It’s not the worst change as Aribo has been decent for the Saints so far this season.
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