Southampton 1-2 Chelsea: Player Ratings
- George Butler
- @GeorgeButler118
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Chelsea came from behind to defeat Southampton 2-1 in an intense affair at St. Mary’s.
The Blues looked sluggish from the start and they paid the price after Baba Rahman’s header let Shane Long burst through on goal and chip the ball over Thibaut Courtois.
The Saints defended well and frustrated the Londoners for a long period but Cesc Fabregas grabbed the equaliser with his deep cross deceiving Fraser Forster and creeping into the Southampton net.
The Chelsea captain Branislav Ivanovic was the hero after he snatched a late winner with a bullet header to secure all three points for Guus Hiddink’s side as Chelsea move into the top half of the table.
Here are our player ratings from the game.
Thibaut Courtois - 5
The Belgian had a shaky performance as Southampton’s aerial presence forced Courtois into collecting ball in the air and he looked far from convincing doing so.
Long took his goal well but question marks may be raised about Courtois rushing so far out his goal.
Cesar Azpilicueta - 6
Azpilicueta was solid defensively for the most part although Long gave him trouble with his pace at times.
Going forward “Dave” was active and willing to get forward but his distribution was often missing.
Gary Cahill - 5
Cahill’s task was to match up with Charlie Austin and Shane Long and while the England vice-captain was solid in the air, he was far too easily beaten on the ground and was forced into making dramatic blocks to make up for the lost ground.
Branislav Ivanovic - 6
Ivanovic, like Cahill, was troubled by Long after he relentlessly hassled the centre back pairing. But the Serbian stepped up and grabbed the points with a fantastic header past Forster.
Baba Rahman - 5
Rahman showed that he is still learning after his error led to the Saints goal.
His lack of awareness was costly for his team and while going forward Rahman is an asset, he has to focus on his defensive duties first and foremost. May have been harshly hauled off at half time, however.
John Obi Mikel - 6
Mikel performed his usual anchor role for the Blues and once again performed aptly.
The Nigerian doesn’t offer much offensively but his reading of the game and willingness to tackle in space helped slow down the Southampton attack.
Cesc Fabregas - 6
Cesc Fabregas started the Chelsea comeback with a teasing cross that bypassed everyone on its way to the goal.
The Spaniard struggled against the energetic pairing of Oriol Romeu and Jordy Clasie and his usual long range passing, which is the trigger for so many Chelsea attacks, was missing for large spells as he failed to dictate the game.
Willian - 7
Willian looked the most likely to break the deadlock for Chelsea, with an intent to drive at defenders as well as intricate passing in the final third.
He fired a shot just wide with the score at 1-1 and was a constant menace when drifting inside.
Oscar - 5
Oscar replaced the injured Pedro early and was largely anonymous.
Despite playing in the number 10 role, the Brazilian failed to contribute offensively and his effect on the game was largely snuffed out by the Southampton defence.
His passing is efficient but he fails to take risks or attempt to take on defenders which harms the Chelsea attack.
Eden Hazard - 6
Hazard looked threatening every time he was on the ball but he went quiet for large spells of the game.
His link up play with Costa and Fabregas was great at times but the Belgian still lacks the confidence to be aggressive on the ball and test the opposition goalkeeper.
Diego Costa - 7
A typical workmanlike display from Costa who battled hard against Virgil Van Dijk with varying success.
While the Spaniard failed to score, Chelsea’s best moves involved Costa at the heart. The midfield failed to supply the ammunition Costa needs to score and he was limited to half chances by Southampton all afternoon.
Subs:
Kenedy – 7
Kenedy replaced Baba Rahman at left back and showed why he is so highly thought of at Stamford Bridge. While naturally a winger, Kenedy has explosive pace and a willingness to drive at defenders and put them on their heels.
He didn’t have to do much in defence, but he helped Chelsea pile on the pressure by providing width and tenacity on the ball.
Nemanja Matic – N/A
Matic replaced Hazard in stoppage time as Chelsea looked to protect their lead and the Serbian was sparsely involved in his short time on the pitch.