Chelsea vs. Southampton: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game
Sadio Mane scored a goal and set up another as Southampton came from behind to beat Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday in the Premier League.
The hosts led through Willian's latest free-kick goal in the 10th minute, but Steven Davis volleyed in the equalizer two minutes before halftime. Mane put Southampton ahead on the hour mark before setting up Graziano Pelle for the Saints' third 12 minutes later.
The loss was Chelsea's fourth of the season in just eight games. The Blues have conceded an alarming 17 goals and trail Manchester City by 10 points already. Last season, Jose Mourinho's men lost just three times while conceding 32 goals in their title-winning campaign.
With the win, Southampton moved up to ninth place with 12 points. Chelsea are 16th, just four points clear of the relegation zone.
Here, B/R selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Sadio Mane
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Sadio Mane was the man of the match, scoring Southampton's winner in the 60th minute before setting up his side's third 12 minutes later. The Senegalese forward posed a threat throughout the day, and it was only a matter of time before he punished Chelsea's rickety defense.
His goal was actually fortuitous, though, with Chelsea giving away possession needlessly. But Mane showed no mercy, scoring with a low shot that deflected off Asmir Begovic and bounced into the net.
He showed similar ruthless efficiency again in the 72nd minute, leading a counter that led to Southampton's third goal. His perfectly timed pass to Graziano Pelle gave the Italian the time and space he needed to pick out the far corner with his shot.
Upon his departure from the match, Squawka summed up Mane's massive performance with a tweet that outlined the impressive stats: one goal, one assist, three chances created, four take-ons and eight tackles won.
Chelsea simply couldn't handle him.
Loser: Chelsea's Defense
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Every good Jose Mourinho team is built on strong defense. At the moment, this is not a good Jose Mourinho team.
No surprise, then, that Chelsea's defense played so poorly again on Saturday—as has been the case all season.
Take your pick from the offenders: Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill and John Terry were all guilty of errors. Ramires failed to provide coverage in midfield and was substituted at halftime. His replacement, Nemanja Matic, made way for another substitute after Southampton's third goal.
As Opta noted, Chelsea have kept only two clean sheets in 12 games this season. According to Squawka, the Blues have conceded two or more goals in eight of their last 10 Premier League matches.
Chelsea have problems across the pitch, with top players underperforming in nearly every position. But the Blues' problems begin at the back.
Loser: Chelsea's Title Defense
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The manner of Chelsea's defeat should not be ignored. This was no ordinary loss. This was an implosion.
Even before the full-time whistle, the criticism was flying in from all quarters.
"Has a Premier League title-winning team ever imploded so quickly, so dramatically?" tweeted B/R contributor Graham Ruthven. "This Chelsea side are reeling."
"Watching the Chelsea team reminds me of Scolari era," tweeted Garry Hayes, B/R's Chelsea correspondent. All over the place, lack shape and direction. Players just don't look up for it."
The Times' Tony Barrett added: "Chelsea are too good to be this bad."
That last assessment is most concerning precisely because Chelsea have so many talented players. These are the same players, with a few exceptions, that won the Premier League title at a trot last season. This term, they are shadows of themselves, almost to a man.
With the Eva Carneiro situation playing out in public, this was already an uneasy time for Chelsea and manager Jose Mourinho. With 30 games left in the season, it's too early to panic. There's still plenty of time to catch Manchester City, Manchester United or whoever else leads the table this season. But if this is not a crisis, it's hard to imagine what is.
"Look, I think you know me and I think you know I don't run away from responsibilities," Mourinho told Sky Sports (h/t ESPN FC). "Because we are in such a bad moment we shouldn't be afraid to be honest."
Chelsea's response over the next few weeks will be fascinating to watch. Can the Blues turn around their fortunes, or will this become a lost season?
Winner: Willian's Free-Kick Prowess
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The lone bright spot of the match for Chelsea was Willian's 10th-minute goal. Standing over a free kick on the left, the Brazilian curled a shot-cross into the top corner well out of the despairing reach of Southampton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
It was unclear whether Willian was shooting or crossing, but his delivery to the far post was so perfectly dangerous that it was no surprise when the ball flew in.
Willian has now scored four goals in four games in all competitions. All have come directly from free kicks. The Brazilian is absolutely lethal on set pieces lately.
Loser: Referee Robert Madley
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Referee Robert Madley missed two clear Southampton penalties in the first half.
First, Branislav Ivanovic pulled down Virgil van Dijk by the shirt inside Chelsea's box. Madley turned his attention to that area of the pitch, but only after Ivanovic had let go of Van Dijk's shirt.
Later in the same half, Ramires stepped on Sadio Mane's foot as the Southampton man tried to dribble through Chelsea's box. Mane fell too theatrically, but the fact remained that Ramires had fouled him.
Southampton should have had two penalties. Madley denied their appeals both times.
The referee also denied Chelsea a penalty in the second half as Radamel Falcao went to ground following a coming-together with Southampton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
This incident was nowhere near as clear-cut as the first two, but Madley was convinced that Falcao had dived, giving the Colombian a yellow card for simulation.
