Chelsea on Saturday clawed back from a goal down to defeat a spiritless Southampton at the St. Mary’s stadium.
Advertisement
‘Normally we would have played Liverpool in the Premier League that Sunday.
Southampton, though, had been the better team and nearly took the lead when Charlie Austin was afforded a surprising amount of space on the edge of Chelsea’s penalty area but could only pull his shot wide of Thibaut Courtois’ near-post. The players, not just Chelsea players, need time when the intensity of the league is like this. “(He is) very short on the Everton game, I think he might be fit at that time but I don’t know if he’s fit for the Everton game”.
The Blues came from a goal down to claim all three points courtesy of goals from Cesc Fabregas and Ivanovic, after Saints striker Shane Long put the home side in the lead.
Southampton is still above Chelsea on the table with 40 points at 7th position while Chelsea stands at 11th with 36 points. Courtois could perhaps have reacted more quickly to the mistake but his hesitancy helped Long score with a lofted finish.
There was however a chance for Jon Obi Mikel, who has enjoyed a purple patch of sorts since Hiddink took charge, to nod his side level on 51 minutes, only for his header from seven yards out to end over the bar. If it is a fault by Kenedy then you have to listen to the linesman.
Chelsea’s defences looked the more vulnerable and were first exposed after 10 minutes when they failed to deal with a Southampton corner.
Southampton had been largely waiting to strike on the counter-attack and had played Austin clear on goal, only for him to be upended by Gary Cahill.
Fabregas started the move by playing Costa in down the left flank.
Chelsea sought an equaliser after the interval, hoping to finally breach Forster’s goal, but Diego Costa volleyed wide of the left post from in front of goal from Hazard’s superbly-delivered cross.
Advertisement
“It’s a nice record, because it’s all about the defensive work and organisation of the team, and he can be proud of that”, Koeman said. Willian took the corner with Branislav Ivanovic leaping higher than anyone else and knocked the ball past a despairing Fraser Forster.
