Saints Marching
Fansided

Southampton 1-4 Chelsea: Premier League – Three Key Players

By Alastair Case

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: Yan Valery of Southampton is challenged by Christian Pulisic of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Chelsea FC at St Mary's Stadium on October 06, 2019 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: Yan Valery of Southampton is challenged by Christian Pulisic of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Chelsea FC at St Mary's Stadium on October 06, 2019 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 4
Next
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 06: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg of Southampton is challenged by N’Golo Kante of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Chelsea FC at St Mary’s Stadium on October 06, 2019 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 06: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg of Southampton is challenged by N’Golo Kante of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Chelsea FC at St Mary’s Stadium on October 06, 2019 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) /

Clinical finishing and some abject defending was sufficient for Chelsea to comfortably see off a poor Southampton at St Mary’s.

Although Danny Ings’ displayed some fight for the home side, in truth it never really looked like Saints would spring an upset against a youthful Chelsea team.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton came into the game on the back of two disappointing defeats against Bournemouth and Tottenham respectively, whilst Chelsea were striving to continue their good run of form. Indeed, for the first 20 minutes the home side looked the more likely to score but a long ball over the to was enough to cause havoc for an unsettled Southampton defence. Angus Gunn came rushing out but was caught in no man’s land and the advancing Tammy Abraham did well to lob the ball over the keeper. A despairing Maya Yoshida endeavoured to clear the ball but the goal line technology correctly awarded the goal.

Portsmouth native Mason Mount netted an excellent goal minutes later, following neat interplay from the Chelsea midfield. Although Ings brought Saints back into the game for the second time in as many weeks with an opportunistic finish, Kante’s deflected drive from the edge of the box restored the two goal lead before half time. Substitute Batshuayi heaped further misery on the dejected home support as he casually added a fourth in the dying moments, leaving Hasenhuttl with plenty of food for thought.

Here are three of the players who were key to the Southampton performance: