#3 Chelsea’s defensive shakiness on show once more
After switching to a three-man backline in the second half of the 3-0 loss to Arsenal in September, Chelsea did not concede a goal for 601 minutes of Premier League action. At one point, they went almost five hours without giving up so much as a shot on target.
Fast forward a few months, however, and the Blues are altogether more vulnerable at the back. Romeu and Bertrand’s efforts here mean they have now gone 11 top-flight encounters without a clean sheet – the longest such run in the division – with their last shutout coming in the aforementioned triumph over Hull City on January 22.
There were plenty of nervous moments in defence on Wednesday, and Southampton could easily have scored their second goal much earlier had they shown a greater clinical edge in and around the penalty area. Chelsea looked particularly vulnerable when defending set-pieces, while even the usually imperious Kante – who was booked for a horribly mistimed tackle on James Ward-Prowse – struggled to prevent Southampton’s forward forays in open play.
In the end, it did not matter, but Chelsea’s inability to keep clean sheets will be a concern to Conte and is something he may look to address in the transfer window this summer.
