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
54 mins: Chance! Perraud drives down the left side of the pitch and combines with Armstrong to get closer to the byline. He lifts a cross into the box and knocks it over the head of James Ward-Prowse who drags away the Chelsea centre-backs.
The ball drops perfectly for Mohamed Elyounoussi who whips a header at goal but hits Marc Cucurella on the chest. Great block from the Chelsea left-back!
The Saints recycle the ball though and it bobbles back to Elyounoussi who shoots on the turn and forces Mendy into a sharp save that he palms into the air before clinging on to it as it comes down.
Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
51 mins: Elyounoussi fizzes a ball over to Ibrahima Diallo who drifts out wide and collects the pass before laying it off to Walker-Peters. The pair combine before Ward-Prowse darts in behind the lines and is fed the ball.
He tries to pull it back but Cucurella shields the ball and Mendy scoops it up safely.
Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
48 mins: Thomas Tuchel is an annoyed figure in the dugout with his opposite number, Ralph Hasenhuttl, driving his team on and yelling out encouragement. Hasenhuttl has only beaten Tuchel once as a manager, beating Tuchel’s Borussia Dortmund back when he was in charge of RB Leipzig.
Chelsea play Sterling into the left side of the box but he’s unable to shift the ball out from under his own feet and take a shot before he’s closed down by two defenders.
Second half: Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
Kick off: Thomas Tuchel does go to the bench and replaces Ruben Loftus-Cheek - who looked solid and attacking the first half - with Mateo Kovacic.
No changes for Southampton who restart the game.
HT Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
There are three other Premier League matches taking place tonight.
Crystal Palace and Brentford are drawing 0-0 and closing in on an hour played. Almost into the second half is Fulham vs Brighton with the Cottagers leading that one 2-0.
The final games sees Leeds host Everton and Frank Lampard’s men lead by a goal to nil as they approach half-time.
HT Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
How do Chelsea repsond after the break? Will Thomas Tuchel look to the bench or stick with the same XI and urge for more intensity?
HT Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
There’s a close contest happening at St Mary’s. Southampton have the lead at the break but Chelsea will come out swinging.
Half-time: Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
45+2 mins: There’s the whistle for half-time. Southampton have come from behind to lead at St Mary’s thanks to goals from Romeo Lavia and Adam Armstrong.
Chelsea have work to do to get back into the game.
GOAL! Southampton 2-1 Chelsea (45+1, A. Armstong)⚽️
45+1 mins: Turnaround for Southampton!
This is brilliant from the Saints who feed the ball up to James Ward-Prowse on the edge of the box. He sends it over to Romain Perraud who arrives on the left side and cuts the ball into the middle to Adam Armstrong.
Armstrong is in space, he stops the ball and drills it into the far side of the goal! Southampton have the lead.
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