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Chelsea slumped to yet another Premier League defeat on Saturday, losing 1-0 at Stamford Bridge to rock bottom Southampton. James Ward-Prowse scored a trademark free-kick to help the Saints complete their first league double over the Blues in 35 years.
Graham Potter's men were the second-best side during the opening half and conceded at the stroke of half-time. Ward-Prowse's free-kick, which was his 17th in the Premier League - one short of David Beckham's all-time record - hit the back of the net to give the visitors a well-deserved lead.
Chelsea kicked off the second half with attacking intent and had half-chances through Mason Mount, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Raheem Sterling, but none of them failed to beat Gavin Bazunu.
The Blues nearly found the equalizer through Sterling following a lovely combination play between the English winger and his teammate Kai Havertz. However, a heroic block from Ainsley Maitland-Niles safeguarded the Saints' cleansheet.
Sterling was presented with yet another golden opportunity to find the back of the net, but Southampton's backline negated the threat with two emphatic challenges.
The result will further add to Chelsea's woes, with the Blues now having won just two of their last 14 games. However, it will do wonders for the Saints' bid to escape relegation.
In this article, we'll take a look at Chelsea players' ratings from their 1-0 Premier League defeat to Southampton at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea player ratings
Kepa Arrizabalaga - 7/10: The shot-stopper made a couple of important saves to keep Chelsea in the game. He denied Sulemana in the first half and Armstrong in the other half. Arrizabalaga had no chance to deny Ward-Prowse from the free-kick.
Cesar Azpilicueta - 6/10: Cesar Azpilicueta was horribly injured during the second half when he took a blow to his head from Sekou Mara's bicycle kick. The Spaniard lacked incisiveness throughout the game and rarely helped Chelsea in the attacking areas of the pitch.
Kalidou Koulibaly - 6/10: Kalidou Koulibaly was the best defender on the pitch until he was taken off after the first half. The Senegalese defender did nothing wrong and was unfortunate to have been substituted.
Benoit Badiashile - 5.5/10: Badiashile struggled to keep Onuachu and Sulemana quiet and left too much space behind him. He also committed a couple of errors that were left unpunished in the first half.
Ben Chilwell - 5.5/10: Ben Chilwell was unable to bring his A-game to help Chelsea defensively and offensively. Known for his attacking contributions, Chilwell did not cause any issues to the Southampton backline as he was forced to run up and down the field.
Mateo Kovacic - 6.5/10: Mateo Kovacic not only performed his defensive duties, but also created a few chances higher up the field. He created opportunities for Cesar Azpilicueta and Mason Mount in the first half.
Enzo Fernandez - 6/10: Enzo Fernandez struggled to deal with the mobility of Romeo Lavia. The young Saints midfielder's exhilarating display restricted Fernandez from running the show for Chelsea throughout the game.
Mason Mount - 5/10: Mason Mount came closing when he nearly met Raheem Sterling's delivery from the left wing. The midfielder was casually losing possession and rarely looked in his usual groove.
Noni Madueke - 5.5/10: Noni Madueke made a few runs through the right wing, but none of them troubled Southampton's backline. He was not able to get the better of Southampton left-back Romain Perraud.
Joao Felix - 6/10: Joao Felix completed a few dribbles, but none of them led to anything meaningful. The Portuguese international failed to get into goalscoring positions as well.
David Fofana - 6.5/10: The young striker was a livewire throughout the opening half. Fofana was able to win the second balls and take on players, but was struggling to break down Southampton's backline. Moreover, he was rarely supplied as well.
Substitutes:
Raheem Sterling - 6/10: Raheem Sterling influenced the game after coming on from the bench, but he should have buried a couple of chances for Chelsea.
Wesley Fofana - 6/10: Wesley Fofana dealt with Southampton's threats after replacing Koulibaly.
Kai Havertz - 6.5/10: Kai Havertz produced an energetic display off the bench, but lacked precision in the final third.
Mykhailo Mudryk - 5/10: The expensive winger was unable to cause trouble for the Southampton backline.
Conor Gallagher - 6.5/10: Conor Gallagher nearly helped his side score during the game's dying moments. However, the English international was not effective apart from that.
Trevoh Chalobah - N/A: He came on during the dying moments of the game.
