Chelsea recovered from an early Jay Rodriguez goal to beat a strong Southampton side 3-1 at Stamford Bridge this afternoon, so here are five things we learned from the game.
1) Chelsea need to wake up
Again the Blues were caught out in the opening seconds, this time to devastating effect after Jay Rodriguez capitalised of Michael Essien’s poor attempt at a backwards pass and slotted the ball beyond Petr Cech after just 13 seconds. Mourinho needs to make them aware of their energy levels right from kick off.
2) Southampton hard to break down
We already knew that they were an organised unit but they again proved that they can cut it against the big boys. They made 16 interceptions, 29 tackles and 48 clearances throughout the tie.
3) Terry’s still got an eye for goal
The way he lept to meet Juan Mata’s cross was brilliant and the way he steered it over the head of the Southampton keeper was even better. John Terry has now scored six goals since the start of last season and they’ve all been headers.
4) Lovren makes the Saints defence tick
The big centre-back made 14 clearances, eight interceptions and went up for seven headed duels in the game and also won all three of his tackles. He’s a giant in every sense of the word.
5) Chelsea love to cross
The Blues made 24 crosses in the game, which compared to Southampton’s 14 is some difference, especially when they’re not the tallest side in the league.