Chelsea took on Southampton at Stamford Bridge looking to keep pace with second-placed Manchester United and also, try and consolidate their position in the Premier League standings. Antonio Conte’s men knew that anything but a victory against the Saints could let the chasing pack of Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur gain ground in the race to finish in the Top 4. The Blues’ boss opted for a 3-4-2-1 formation opting to play Eden Hazard up top in place of Alvaro Morata.
The Londoners made a good start to the game but just couldn’t find the final pass. In the dying embers of the first half, Marcos Alonso struck an accurate shot from a free-kick which nestled into the bottom corner which caught the Saints’ keeper Fraser Forster off guard. The Spanish gave Chelsea a deserved lead and they defended valiantly to secure a narrow win on the day.
Let’s take a look at how each Chelsea player fared on the day.
GK: Thibaut Courtois – 7/10
The goalkeeper made two crucial saves to deny Charlie Austin an equaliser in the second-half.
CB: Gary Cahill – 8/10
The English defender was solid throughout the game and excelled at the heart of the Chelsea defence.
CB: Andreas Christensen – 6/10
He was caught off guard on a few occasions in the second half but overall, did just enough to keep a clean sheet.
CB: Cesar Azpilicueta – 7/10
The Spanish full-back did well while on possession and looked his calm, collected self in the Blues’ backline.
LM: Marcos Alonso – 9/10
The Spanish international was by far the best player on the pitch. He scored an excellent opener, curling in a left-footed from a freekick shot that caught the Saints’ keeper Fraser Forster out of position.
RM: Victor Moses – 7/10
He performed better as the match went on and put in a tireless shift on the right flank.
CM: N’Golo Kante – 7/10
The midfielder almost scored with his effort in the first half and put in an energetic display in the Chelsea midfield.
CM: Tiemoue Bakayoko – 7/10
He used his big physical presence to wrestle some 50-50 balls in the midfield and had one of his better games in a Chelsea shirt.
CAM: Willian – 8/10
The Brazilian was a constant threat to the Saints’ defence and created some wonderful chances with his delicate passes.
CAM: Pedro – 7/10
His movement gave the Southampton defence a lot to think about. He was a goal-threat but was unlucky not to get his name on the scoresheet.
ST: Eden Hazard – 8/10
The Belgian won the freekick in the first half which his team-mate Marcos Alonso expertly scored the opener from. He was one of the most productive players on the pitch and almost scored when his brilliant flick and clever finish came off in the second half. Unfortunately, the goal was ruled as off-side.
Substitutes:
CM: Cesc Fabregas – 8/10
The veteran Spanish midfielder was superb when he came on and almost scored the second goal when he was through on goal but his shot just went wide off the post.
ST: Alvaro Morata – N/A
The Spanish striker didn’t have enough time to make an impact but showed glimpses of his brilliance.
RM: Davide Zappacosta – N/A
He was brought on to ensure the three points and the Italian managed to see through the job.
