SM
Ipswich vs. Man United: 12 hrs 55 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
CL
Premier League
Jan 16, 2013 at 7.45pm UK
 
SL

2-2

Hazard (45'), Ba (25')
FT(HT: 2-0)
Puncheon (75'), Lambert (58')

Match Analysis: Chelsea 2-2 Southampton

:Headline: Match Analysis: Chelsea 2-2 Southampton: ID:64379: from db_amp
Sports Mole analyses tonight's 2-2 draw between Chelsea and Southampton as the Saints come from 2-0 down to rescue a point at Stamford Bridge.

Southampton came back from two goals down to secure an unlikely draw against Chelsea in their rescheduled Premier League match this evening.

The hosts took the lead through Demba Ba's volley before Eden Hazard doubled their advantage right on the stroke of half time.

Rickie Lambert scored less than three minutes after coming on to bring the Saints back into the match, however, and Jason Puncheon completed the comeback with a fine volley into the top corner.

Here, Sports Mole analyses another miserable day at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea.

Match statistics:

Chelsea:
Shots 19
On target 10
Possession 55%
Corners 4
Fouls 10

Southampton:
Shots 7
On target 3
Possession 45%
Corners 3
Fouls 11

Was the result fair?

Yes, a draw was the fairest result in the end. Neither side played well by any means, particularly in the first half, but Chelsea had done more with the ball than their opponents. The Saints were a lot more threatening in the second half, though, and fought back well to earn themselves a point.

Chelsea's performance

Pretty uninspiring stuff. They were far from their best in the first half but got away with it by going into the break with a two-goal lead. They put in a similar performance in the second half but this time were punished. Their home fans must be getting sick of them underperforming at home, and the chorus of boos at the final whistle hinted that this was the case.

Southampton's performance

A 2-2 draw away to Chelsea suggests that it was a good performance from the Saints, but for large parts it was not. They saw a lot of the ball in the first half but failed to do anything with it. The introduction of Rickie Lambert made a huge difference, though, as they began to threaten the Chelsea goal, eventually leading to both of their goals.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Demba Ba: This is quite a tough award to give in a match where no player particularly stood out. Ba gets it, though, as he was the one player who looked like a threat throughout. His goal was well taken and he was a big part in pretty much all of his side's attacks. He may have expected more clear-cut chances with the triumvirate he had behind him, but was forced to settle for aerial passes a lot of the time.

Biggest gaffe

This one has to go to Southampton's giving the ball away to Frank Lampard on the edge of their own box. Lampard went on to give it to Cesar Azpilicueta, whose cross led to the opening goal. Nigel Adkins's failure to start Rickie Lambert is also worth a mention as he was the difference when he came on.

Referee performance

Solid. Michael Oliver had a quiet game without any really big decisions to be made. He let the game flow early on, refusing to blow for soft tackles, and showed just one yellow card throughout the entire 90 minutes.

What next?

Chelsea: Chelsea host Arsenal in a London derby on Sunday before looking to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Swansea in their League Cup semi-final second leg on Wednesday.

Southampton: Southampton don't have another game until Monday when they host Everton in the Premier League before a trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United.

amp_article__64379 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2013-01-17 16:32:04:
html db last update - 2013-01-17 16:32:04 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Crystal Palace121561017-78
19Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
20Southampton11119721-144
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .