Chelsea 1-0 Southampton: Three key players

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LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 16: Fraser Forster of Southampton during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge on December 16, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /

Southampton fell to a spirited 1-0 defeat away to Chelsea on Saturday, with a solid defensive display not being enough for them to get a result against the reigning Premier League champions.

Marcos Alonso’s curling free-kick in first-half stoppage time proved enough for the home side to take all three points from the game, with Saints not able to take full advantage of second-half opportunities from Charlie Austin.

Six changes were made by manager Mauricio Pellegrino ahead of the game as he set his side up to nullify Chelsea’s attacking threat but cause problems on the counter-attack.

However, Saints will now be anxiously looking over their shoulder to the bottom of the Premier League table with just three points between them and the dreaded relegation zone.

Here are three key players from Saints’ performance at Stamford Bridge: