Southampton 1-2 Chelsea: Branislav Ivanovic and Cesc Fabregas on target as Blues come from behind to beat in-form Saints

  

Chelsea were dealt a blow in the early minutes when Pedro had to be replaced by Oscar after picking up an injury,Fraser Forster broke a Southampton top flight record in the first half after going 667 minutes without conceding.
Shane Long gave Southampton the lead after 42 minutes capitalising on a poor mistake by full back Baba Rahman,Chelsea were level when Cesc Fabregas' cross meant for Eden Hazard wrong-footed Forster and went straight in.
 
Branislav Ivanovic popped up with a winner in the 89th minute powering a header past Forster from a Blues corner.

It wasn’t pretty, it was hardly glorious but Chelsea, still unbeaten since Guus Hiddink took over in the Premier League, are beginning to rediscover some of the cussedness that has served them so well in difficult periods in the past.

For much of this match they looked slovenly and second best. They conceded in the most-embarrassing fashion, a mistake so bad it seemingly required Baba Rahman to be substituted. They survived a rash challenge by Gary Cahill on Charlie Austin on 70 minutes that ought to have been a penalty and which would have put the game beyond them.

And yet they prevailed, Branislav Ivanovic rising at the near post on 88 minutes to head in an unlikely winner. Perhaps they deserved it for hanging on in a game which had little grace or style.

They are still some way from being a fluid and flowing side again. But results are at least falling their way.That said, there were times in the game on which they would not care to dwell, not least when they conceded their opening goal.

Chelsea were just starting to establish a foothold in the game, when, as has so often been the case this season, they were authors of their own misfortune. A speculative long ball and a misplaced header by Rahman let in Shane Long on 42 minutes.

The striker took one touch to play himself in and Thibaut Courtois hesitated, pondering whether to come or not. By the time he had decided to do so, it was too late: Long was at the ball first and lifted it past the Belgian into the far corner.

Instinctively Rahman pulled his shirt over his head, ashamed of his mistake. Many questioned why Jose Mourinho didn’t trust a player Chelsea had paid £14m plus adds on to secure in the summer; this was presumably the reason why.

At half-time Raham was replaced by Kenedy and if the substitution was made simply because he couldn’t cope with the consequences of his mistake, you would have to questions his credentials to play for a club such as Chelsea.

The game hadn’t started well for Chelsea with Pedro limping off after just seven minutes. Just as the former Barca forward had started to perform for Chelsea in recent weeks, he looks like being out injured.

Their hesitancy was evident early on when Courtois was caught out, coming for a ball which Virgil van Dijk beat him to, delivering a lovely cross on to the head of Long, who headed disappointingly high and wide.

Yet other than a tame long-range effort from Oscar and a turn and strike from Diego Costa, Chelsea offered little in the first half. They were ponderous on the ball and struggled to cope with Southampton’s 3-5-2 formation, often overwhelmed in midfield.

That said, an equaliser should have come on the hour when Eden Hazard delivered a glorious cross at just the right height for Diego Costa to volley home; instead he skewed it wide.

And as the second half progressed and – predictably – Costa grew increasingly frustrated, picking up a yellow card, Southampton seemed happy for the game to develop into a scrap. Ryan Bertrand swung an elbow at Costa, wisely just after the latter had been booked, thus ruling out retaliation. Bertrand picked up his own caution for that whilst Jordy Clasie’s came for a late kick on Willian.

Chelsea didn’t look especially inspirational and against a Southampton team that hadn’t conceded for six games, they showed little sign of troubling the score after that Costa chance.

And when the equaliser did come, it was in bizarre circumstances. Costa, still full of running, chased down a ball to the by-line and pulled it back for Cesc Fabregas. The Spaniard cut inside, and rolled in a cross aimed at Eden Hazard. Somehow, the pace and angle of the ball had Fraser Forster fooled, the keeper rooted to the spot as the ball trickled past him. The Southampton keeper had broken a club record in this game, having not conceded for 708 cumulative minutes, up until that point; it was an unfortunate way to end his run.

Chelsea perked up though it was hardly an unremitting onslaught, their best chance coming on 82minutes when Willian pulled a shot just wide on 82 minutes. Yet then came at 88th minute corner from Willian, the sight of Branislav Ivanovic rising above van Dijk at the near post and scoring with a thumping header. It wasn’t quite Munich 2012, but for Chelsea it’s a start.