Chelsea faced off against Southampton at the St. Mary’s Stadium earlier today hoping to pick up another win on the road. The Pensioners settled into the game quickly and took the lead in the 17th minute courtesy of a fortunate finish from Tammy Abraham. Mason Mount doubled the visiting side’s advantage just seven minutes later when he scored from close range.
Danny Ings pulled a goal back for the Saints at the half-hour mark, but N’Golo Kante restored Chelsea’s two-goal advantage in the 40th minute.
The second half was more of the same with the West London outfit looking dangerous on the break. Michy Batshuayi came off the bench to put the icing on the cake for Frank Lampard’s men when he scored in the 89th minute. The match finished with the final scoreline of 4-1 in favour of the Pensioners.
Let’s take a look at how each Chelsea player performed during the contest against the Saints.
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga – 5/10
The Spanish keeper was hardly tested during the game but was poor with his distribution from the back. He made a couple of grave errors which could have cost his team a goal.
RB: César Azpilicueta – 6/10
The Chelsea full-back took up some dangerous positions in the Saints half but couldn’t manage to create too many opportunities in the final third. He was defensively sound and put in a solid shift at the back.
CB: Kurt Zouma – 7/10
The French centre-back won most of his battles with Southampton’s Danny Ings. He defended well during the contest and was a commanding presence inside his own half.
CB: Fikayo Tomori – 5/10
The in-form Chelsea defender made quite a few mistakes today and was at fault for Ings’ goal in the first half. The former Derby Country starlet will be disappointed with his overall performance during the encounter.
LB: Marcos Alonso – 6/10
The Spaniard linked up play well in the opposition half but was defensively vulnerable down the left flank. But he has an assist to show for his efforts.
CM: N’Golo Kanté – 7.5/10
The French midfield ace took some time to settle into the game and was fortunate to have scored with his deflected attempt. However, he was excellent in breaking down some of the Saints attacks in midfield.
CM: Jorginho – 8.5/10
The Italian playmaker was brilliant on the day as he played some delightful passes from the centre of the park. He was also responsible for making a goal-saving clearance to deny Ings his second goal of the contest.
RM: Willian – 7.5/10
The Brazilian set-up Mount with an inch-perfect pass to pick up an assist from the game. He was at his fluent best for Chelsea today.
CAM: Mason Mount – 7.5/10
The English rising star took his goal well when he scored with a clever finish in the 24th minute. He was a menace for the Saints defenders which will please Lampard.
LM: Callum Hudson-Odoi – 7/10
The Pensioners youngster looked sharp and energetic, going forward. He picked out Abraham with a fantastic pass early on which gave Chelsea the all-important lead in the first half.
ST: Tammy Abraham – 7/10
The English forward got a bit lucky with his improvised chip that gave Chelsea the lead in the 17th minute. He caused a lot of headaches for Ralph Hasenhüttl’s defenders and was a real goal-threat during the match.
Substitutes:
CM: Mateo Kovacic – 5/10
He kept things ticking in midfield but didn’t add much to the game.
CAM: Christian Pulisic – 7/10
The former Borussia Dortmund prospect picked out Batshuayi with a fine pass in the lead-up to Chelsea’s fourth goal.
ST: Michy Batshuayi – 8/10
The Belgian striker came on for the final few minutes of the contest but still managed to find the back of the net just before the full-time whistle.
