ROMEO LAVIA AND Adam Armstrong condemned Chelsea to a 2-1 defeat as Southampton leapfrogged the lacklustre Blues in the Premier League.
Teenage midfielder Lavia became the first player born in 2004 to score in the Premier League with a fine strike at St Mary’s Stadium, before Armstrong broke a 22-game duck as Saints stunned Chelsea.
The visitors had led through Raheem Sterling’s third goal in two games, only for Southampton to turn the game on its head in a challenging night for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
Chelsea might be a team in transition with more big-name and big-money arrivals just around the corner courtesy of bullish new owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.
But the top-four-hunting Blues should still not be in the business of losing a clash like this against a remodelled and youthful, but admittedly gritty, Southampton.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s rejuvenated Saints jumped ahead of Chelsea into seventh place in the table, with a major win for the south coast men.
The Blues were left to lick the wounds of two costly defeats on their travels, just five games into the new campaign.
Chelsea can expect to slip further down the embryonic table after Wednesday’s fixtures, with Tuchel’s rebuilding job clearly boasting great promise but not yet delivering.
A central striker could hardly be more craved by a Chelsea side so creatively capable, but so far too reliant on Sterling’s finishing powers.
The Blues will now hope even more to complete the signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona, while centre-back Wesley Fofana’s move from Leicester is expected to be announced shortly.
Chelsea settled faster and set about stretching the Saints set-up.
Sterling latched onto a neat through-ball, smartly shifting direction to create space and a fine opening.
But the former Manchester City star could only scuff his effort, gifting Gavin Bazunu an easy save.
Sterling got round the back shortly afterwards in another sharp Chelsea move, but Mason Mount could not beat the defence to the cutback.
England forward Sterling continued to threaten by racing through, but the 27-year-old opted to go it alone rather than square to the unmarked Kai Havertz.
Sterling did finally put the Blues ahead with a calm finish on the turn after another incisive move from the visitors.
But just when Chelsea should have built on that 1-0 lead, Saints started to open up Tuchel’s team.
Lavia blasted home from the edge of the area after Cesar Azpilicueta failed to clear a corner with any conviction, with Edouard Mendy only able to palm the 18-year-old’s strike into the net.
Chelsea slipped off the pace after Saints’ equaliser, with the Londoners’ poise suddenly conspicuous by its absence.
Armstrong swept home to put Saints 2-1 up after Chelsea ceded possession cheaply in their own half, stunning the nonplussed Blues.
The Saints striker’s cool first-half added-time finish allowed the hosts to turn around not just in the lead but also in control.
Jorginho was so incensed by an unpunished challenge he received in the closing stages of the first half that he confronted referee Michael Oliver after the half-time whistle.
Azpilicueta had to lead the Italy midfielder away, with Chelsea in disarray at the break.
Mateo Kovacic replaced Ruben Loftus-Cheek at half-time, with Chelsea desperate to tighten up off the ball.
Southampton remained the more buoyant side however, with Mohamed Elyounoussi’s threatening header well blocked by Marc Cucurella.
Tuchel switched Chelsea to 3-5-2 and made a triple change with 20 minutes to play, with Ben Chilwell, Armando Broja and Christian Pulisic all joining the fray.
Pulisic stepped in at right wing-back, with Broja through the middle alongside Sterling.
Broja immediately showed the merits of a natural striker by overpowering the Saints defence, but another promising Chelsea attack came to nought.
Thiago Silva’s flicked back heel off the line denied Southampton a third goal, as the hosts sustained their overall second-half dominance.
Chelsea rallied with time running out though, and Broja forced a solid save from Bazunu when meeting Sterling’s cross.
The Blues pressed right to the death, with even Mendy joining the attack – but to no avail. Southampton were worthy winners in the event, with the Blues clearly cowed by the defeat.
Not sure what was sweeter. Watching Martinez performance vs Liverpool after Carragher’s criticism last week. Or watching Che Adams bully Koulibaly and Silva tonight after Graeme Souness comments yesterday on how Adams ‘targeted’ Martinez on Saturday… during the clean sheet.. and how he’ll be ‘found out’. Gas stuff.
@Johnny Mads: 100% man. Souness hates Utd and he can’t hide it. The viceral $h!te he spews when commentating about Utd is pure biased entertainment. He is constantly caught out.
@Stephen Foster: Always caught out but he never seems to care and continues spouting rubbish. Casemiro is also clueless and talentless according to him. If the player has no link to liverpool or if they didn’t play “back in his day” then they offer nothing in Graeme’s eyes.
@Johnny Mads: jayus Johnny will ye stop. Ye just turned an article about Chelsea’s failings into a liverpool hate fest lol.
@Paul Gorry: Haha ah Paul you know me on here. When have you ever heard me dissing any current liverpool player, manager, coach, hierarchy? Be honest ! Just defending our corner from media crap of late.
@Paul Gorry: Martinez smashing Salah in the opening few minutes last week was like a trophy to United fans
@Niall Brady: After watching Maguire bend over to the types of Salah in recent years, who can blame us :)
@Johnny Mads: Absolutely Johnny me comment was a jest and totally agree. Ye call a spade a spade. The way it should be.
@Paul Gorry: Hear hear !
@Johnny Mads: United fans hyping up Martinez like he’s prime van dijk is hilarious in fairness. He was dragged at half time against Brentford when united were 4 nil down and poor against Brighton too when a penalty should have been giving against him for a blatant push on welbeck and was also booked in the game when he dithered on the ball and it was taken off him and pulled trossard back. But 2 alright games and he’s like cannavarro, van dijk or Terry in some united fans hopeful eyes. How sad
@James horgan: Where did I say anything like that James? Where and when did i put him up on any pedestal?? I simply defended him from stupid premature criticism from the types of Carra and Souness before the lad has even settled in. I actually said numerous times on here, lets rate these guys next May.. So jog on Jamesy!
@James horgan: “like he’s prime van Dijk?!” Van Dijk is a spent force. Since coming back from injury he isn’t half the player. Making bad decisions and regularly caught out. He had 3 good seasons max. Leave it so. You’d swear he was at Vidic, Terry, or Ferdinand level. He’s way off now.
@Johnny Mads: ignore him, pure troll. Waste of time giving him attention..
@HarveyLemonade: Ya there’s one too many of them on here these days.i can’t stand these fellas who paint all fans with one brush. Does my head in. I actually take part in conversations on here.. these guys just start every comment with “United fans bla bla..” incapable of holding a real conversation
@Johnny Mads: the likes of Souness has riled all these Liverpool fans up again now, they’d believe everything that comes out of that man’s mouth. Souness knows all he has to do is say something anti-united and all the scousers will think he’s a hero. They were all made to eat their words last Monday night.
@Stephen Foster: Van Dijk had his day in the sun, he’s just an ordinary CB these days, he’s lost a yard and he’s hesitating to do what used to come natural to him.
Lol and the mighty Van Djik at the same level as Rio or Terry? Lol absolute superb tinted glasses u got on, waffler.
@Aidy McBride: yea van Dijk is an average CB these days. It’s starting to show in the Liverpool defense too.
@Now or Never: Vidic, Terry, Campbell, Rio, Adams. All better than big Virgil
@Johnny Mads: met a few English Liverpool FC supporters from places like Crewe and they pretty much make it clear their disdain for the Irish and they absolute non-acceptance of Irish support for Liverpool FC. Middle class commercial media guys, makes one think of why the Irish would ever bother spending hard earned money on supporting any EPL club when the native home grown supporters with these clubs don’t give a flying hoot about the average Irish supporter of their club.
@Stephen Foster: That’s why I said prime van dijk. Came runner up in the balon D’ór to Messi (which he should have won that year) and won pfa player of the year. That’s prime van dijk. Not the 1st 3 games of this season obviously. But 3 or 4 bad games in 4 seasons all while winning everything available to him at club level isn’t bad either. But Martinez shaped upto to salah at Old Trafford so it’s all good
@Aidy McBride: imagine going through your worst performances in 4 years for a club and being described as an ordinary centre back. Goes to show when he was in his prime he was extraordinary doesn’t it.
@Patrick Lawlor: lol stop making up your own stories
@James horgan: Jayzez, I can’t believe you uttered the names Van Dijk and Terry in the same breath as a proper legend Cannavaro
Meanwhile back to the topic of the article: Southampton V Chelsea …
Long live the Thomas Tuchel reign at Chelsea, what an overrated plank……looking forward to hearing him crying poor mouth again tonight
Hands over face, legs kicking into the air laughing hysterically
@Aidy McBride:And at same time posting a comment on the journal.mad stuff altogether.
@Paul Gorry: rent free
@Aidy McBride: ye love that ‘rent free ‘comment don’t you? Stop being a baby Aidy. It’s getting stale now.
@Paul Gorry: naw its you that’s getting stale, everytime you see a United badge or anything United related you just can’t resist
@Aidy McBride: which is in fact a lie in yer little head Aidy. And I am bringing this to your attention. I don’t chase down anyone with a United badge or anything utd related. I make a comment and mostly respect utd fans. We all have banther on match days ect ect..It’s the likes of yerself that makes this comment section toxic. Imho.
@Paul Gorry: I’m all for the banter too but some comments on here are just juvenile and nasty
Checked Lavia’s date of birth he was indeed five months old or so when Arsenals invincible team won the league. Was worried for the pulses of some Arsenal fans if they discovered their last title win so long ago that babies born the after May 2004 are now professional players
@Jake Kelly: 2004, jeez I didn’t realize it was that log ago. I still remember them as being Uniteds biggest rival.
Chelsea been terrible since January. The ownership change has masked over and saved Tuchel. 39 points since January 1st, puts them 6th. United who have been so bad have 33 points. Chelsea only got Top 4 last season because of their first 10 games.