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 1-1 Chelsea
43 mins: Romain Perraud fouls Hakim Ziyech by pushing him in the back and handing Chelsea a free kick on the right wing. The visitors don’t make use of it though and Southampton quickly recover the ball.
Southampton 1-1 Chelsea
40 mins: Five minutes to go until the break at St Mary’s. This half has been evenly matched, both teams have had their moments on top and both have occasionally made costly mistakes.
Chelsea have arguably edged it with the chances they’ve created by the Saints are playing well. Che Adams is having a good game leading the line.
Southampton 1-1 Chelsea
37 mins: Cucurella gives the ball to Mount and bombs it down the left wing on the overlap. Mount sends the ball down the line for him to chase but Bella-Kotchap is across quickly and shields the ball away from the defender.
Cucurella bundles into the centre-back and the ball runs out for a goal kick.
Southampton 1-1 Chelsea
34 mins: Chance! Che Adams kick starts a Southampton attack with a pass over to Adam Armstrong from the halfway line. Armstrong has Ward-Prowse on his left but he decides to cut inside and have a go.
There’s little room for him to manoeuvre and his tame shot is easily smothered by Edouard Mendy.
Southampton 1-1 Chelsea
31 mins: That equaliser was Romeo Lavia’s first goal for the Saints and what a finish it was. They’ve got themselves back into the match and Thomas Tuchel looks unimpressed on the sidelines.
Another corner for Southampton is cleared more effectively by Chelsea this time and Ward-Prowse catches Sterling in the middle of the pitch to give away a free kick.
GOAL! Southampton 1-1 Chelsea (28’, Lavia)⚽️
28 mins: Just like that! What a finish from Romeo Lavia. The Saints win themselves a corner but the delivery from James Ward-Prowse is uncharacteristically poor.
Equally shocking is Cesar Azpilicueta’s clearance which just about reaches the edge of the box where Lavia takes a touch to control the ball then curls it around Kalidu Koulibaly and beats Edouard Mendy’s outstretched left hand to guide his shot into the back of the net.
Southampton 0-1 Chelsea
26 mins: It’s a just reward from Chelsea’s intent. They weathered an early onslaught from Southampton and have since worked the ball expertly into little pockets of space in the home side’s final third.
How will Southampton respond?
GOAL! Southampton 0-1 Chelsea (23’, Sterling)⚽️
23 mins: Chelsea take the lead! Kai Havertz carries the ball down the left wing as Mason Mount makes a decent run off the ball into the box.
Havertz’s pass comes across to Mount who squares it to Raheem Sterling, now in the middle of the box. He takes his time, controls the ball and sits down the last defender before sliding it into the back of the net.
Cool and composed from Sterling who has his third goal in two games for Chelsea.
Southampton 0-0 Chelsea
21 mins: Close! That’s lovely play from Chelsea. Marc Cucurella’s cross from the left side is overhit but Cesar Azpilicueta keeps the battack alive. He sends it inside to Ruben Loftus-Cheek who finds Raheem Sterling on the edge of the box.
Sterling gives the ball back and spins the defender to get into the box. Loftus-Cheek threads the defensive line to give it back to Sterling who whips a cross to the near post and wins a corner when Mohammed Salisu nips in front of Mason Mount and turns the ball behind.
Southampton 0-0 Chelsea
18 mins: Havertz has the ball on the left wing and flicks it nicely into the box to match Mount’s run. Mount plays it back to Hakim Ziyech but the midfielder’s attempts is closed down and the attack peters out.
After a dominant 10 minutes from Southampton, Chelsea are taking control of the match.
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