Chelsea Start New Year with Scoreless Draw Against Southampton in EPL

Chelsea suffered a false start to the new year, as Southampton held them to a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge in their first outing of 2019.

Saints easily held the Blues at bay, as Chelsea were toothless for much of the contest. Chances were few, and the major takeaway from the contest was a first-half injury to Willian.

The result puts Chelsea just three points ahead of Arsenal in the battle for fourth place.

Chelsea Are No Better Under Sarri Than Conte

Southampton greatly frustrated Chelsea on Wednesday with a combination of a high press and a low block, depending on where the ball was. While the former resulted in a few chances on the counter, the latter proved highly effective against the Blues' passing game.

Sportswriter Dan Levene was not impressed with the hosts:

Broadcaster Sebastien Chapuis had a theory to explain the lack of danger:

Manager Maurizio Sarri's lack of a Plan B is fast becoming a serious problem for Chelsea. This wasn't the first time a defence has locked down the Blues completely, and the hosts had no idea how to respond.

They resorted to David Luiz pumping long balls into the box, which was easy for Saints to defend. Southampton have one of the worst defensive records in the league―it never should have been this easy for them.

Sarri's intricate system takes time to implement but after half a season, this Blues team doesn't look any better than it did at this stage last year. Per sportswriter Matt Law the stats show Antonio Conte's side was at least as good, and arguably less talented:

Conte's Chelsea collapsed in the second half of the season, leading to a fifth-place finish. Sarri's Blues are in slightly better shape, but it's worth noting Manchester United are greatly improved under interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and quickly closing the gap to Chelsea and Arsenal.

It's too early to panic, but right now this Chelsea team isn't an improvement on last year.

What's Next?

Both teams play in the FA Cup on Saturday, with the Blues hosting Nottingham Forest and Saints visiting Derby County in third-round action.