Southampton 1-2 Chelsea

Southampton 1-2 Chelsea

Home team scorers
Shane Long 42

Away team scorers
Francesc Fabregas 75
Branislav Ivanovic 89



Guus Hiddink may consider this the most impressive success yet of his second spell as Chelsea’s interim manager. Confronted by a team who had long since forgotten what it feels like to concede a goal, let alone ship a result, the visitors rallied late to stretch their unbeaten domestic run to 14 matches. Southampton, in the ascendancy for so long, departed almost in numbed shock. They had not seen this reverse coming.

They were still coming to terms with surrendering a first goal in 637 minutes in all competitions, courtesy of Cesc Fàbregas’s cross which drifted in beyond a startled Fraser Forster, when Chelsea claimed a corner a minute from time. Willian’s delivery was belted into the area where Branislav Ivanovic, captain in the absence of the injured John Terry, leapt above Virgil van Dijk to thump a header goalwards which flew in off Forster’s outstretched right hand. Once Thibaut Courtois had denied Sadio Mané in what little time remained, Chelsea had a victory to savour. They may remain in the bottom half but their campaign feels rejuvenated. Hiddink has had a revitalising effect.

This had always felt likely to prove a tight contest, a collision between two teams who had previously endured only one defeat between them in the league this calendar year. Southampton’s revival has been forged on stingy defence, solidity sparked by Forster’s return from a lengthy injury lay-off but also Ronald Koeman’s willingness to switch to a back three, a system with which they appeared supremely comfortable. Chelsea, for all the odd flash of quality provided by Fàbregas, Eden Hazard and Willian in midfield, were unsettled by Pedro’s early departure with a thigh injury and ran aground too often through the initial exchanges. Indeed, the closest they came to securing a first-half reward was actually born of Cédric Soares’s back pass, which flew behind with Forster stranded, and a deflection off Ryan Bertrand that spun marginally wide of a post.

By then the visitors trailed. Southampton should probably have scored sooner, not least when Shane Long headed wastefully over the bar from Van Dijk’s fine control and delivery. Charlie Austin, on his first start for the club, was also permitted time and space in which to turn and shoot, his effort fizzing just wide. There was promise in his partnership with Long though, in the end, the hosts were rather gifted their lead. Steven Davis’s punt upfield had been optimistic at best but it still panicked Baba Rahman, the left-back blindly nodding the loose ball inside towards Ivanovic for a gambling Long to intercept on the gallop. The Republic of Ireland forward charged on and, with Courtois initially caught on his heels not anticipating the Ghanaian’s mistake, clipped a fine finish over the goalkeeper.

Rahman hoisted up his shirt to hide his face in shame at the error as he slumped back upfield for the restart. A youngster who could end up costing Chelsea comfortably in excess of £20m did not reappear after the break as his team-mates urgently tried to level. Diego Costa might have secured it only to volley awkwardly high and wide from Hazard’s centre and, while Southampton were incensed their appeals for a penalty for Gary Cahill’s challenge on Austin were dismissed, it was the Spain striker’s mood which degenerated most noticeably as he clashed with Van Dijk. His regular snarled protests at the referee, Martin Atkinson, eventually prompted a caution as tempers frayed all around.

Yet, as ever, Costa is far more of a threat when enraged. It was his dart down the channel to retrieve possession near the byline which gave the visitors their opportunity, the striker pulling the ball back for Fàbregas as opposing players claimed a goal-kick. Unperturbed, the midfielder flung over a cross, aimed vaguely towards Hazard amid the clutter in the penalty area, which arced towards goal and bounced in the six-yard box. Forster, suddenly gripped by unfamiliar indecision, prodded out tentatively with his left boot in a desperate attempt to force the ball away on the bounce, but could not prevent it bouncing beyond and in. After 708 minutes the England goalkeeper had been bypassed. It was a soft way for that club record to end though, for Forster and Southampton, the real frustration still lay ahead.

Guardian