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

Thomas Tuchel respects Ralph Hasenhuttl

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 vs Chelsea

• 45+1’ Goal! - Adam Armstrong blasts the Saints into the lead on the stroke of half-time (SOU 2-1 CHE)
• 28’ Goal! - Lavia equalises from a Southampton corner (SOU 1-1 CHE)
• 23’ Goal! - Sterling sends Chelsea in front! (SOU 0-1 CHE)
• Southampton XI: Bazunu, Walker-Peters, Bella-Kotchap, Salisu, Perraud, Ward-Prowse, Lavia, Diallo, Elyounoussi, A. Armstrong, Adams
• Chelsea XI: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Koulibaly, Thiago Silva, Cucurella, Loftus-Cheek, Ziyech, Jorginho, Mount, Havertz, Sterling

[30 August 2022 17:37 · Michael Jones]

Callum Hudson-Odoi leaves Chelsea to spend season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen

Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi will spend the season on loan at German side Bayer Leverkusen, it has been confirmed.

The 21-year-old was an unused substitute in each of Chelsea’s last three Premier League fixtures and was not set to feature in manager Thomas Tuchel’s plans this season.

Chelsea retain the option to recall their academy graduate in January but the Stamford Bridge club are hopeful of completing moves for forwards Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Anthony Gordon before Thursday’s transfer deadline.

Hudson-Odoi was close to joining Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund last summer while Bayern Munich also tried to sign the England international earlier in his career.

Despite staying in England and making 21 starts for Chelsea last season, the winger has often struggled for consistent game time following his debut for the club in 2018.

[30 August 2022 17:26 · Michael Jones]

Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of Chelsea’s trip to Southampton in the Premier League. Kick off for this top-flight encounter is at 7:45pm tonight as the league attempts to fit in as many fixtures as possible before the winter break for the World Cup this November-December.

The Saints have taken four points from their opening four fixtures but they lost 1-0 to Manchester United at the weekend despite an encouraging and attacking performance. Che Adams is in hot goal scoring form with four goals in three games for Southampton and Ralph Hasenhuttl will need him to be at his best if they hope to get anything off Chelsea.

The Blues are there for the taking too. They have yet to settle into any sort of rhythm this year as new signings try to bed themselves in and Thomas Tuchel plays with tactical alterations. Raheem Sterling earned his first goals since moving to Stamford Bridge by bagging a brace against Leicester but Conor Gallagher continues to struggle. Gallagher was sent off against the Foxes and sparked an increase in transfer rumours about another possible loan move for the midfielder.

This evening’s fixture should be quite entertaining. Ralph Hasenuttl has a young, brave team with a few flaws and an attacking mindset but Chelsea will be confident of pulling out a win. Let’s see which way this one goes.