Chelsea bounced back from conceding a
Jay Rodriguez goal after 13 seconds to
beat Southampton 3-1 and move within
four points of Barclays Premier League
leaders Arsenal.
Goals from Gary Cahill, John Terry and
substitute Demba Ba earned Chelsea's
sixth home win from seven games this
season to extend Jose Mourinho's
unbeaten Premier League record at
Stamford Bridge to 67 games.
Mourinho was fuming with his team at
times but would have been pleased with
the response to the early blow.
Rodriguez punished a dreadful back-pass
by Michael Essien and Saints took a
deserved interval lead after Artur Boruc
made a wonderful save to deny Fernando
Torres.
Essien had a first Premier League start
since May 2012 to forget and was
replaced at half-time by Ba, who hit the
post from the corner which led to Cahill
heading in an equaliser.
Boruc went off with a hand injury and his
replacement Paulo Gazzaniga was beaten
by Terry's header as Chelsea took a lead
they would not relinquish, with Ba adding
a late third.
Chelsea had endured a mixed week
following the 3-0 win at West Ham with
qualification for the last 16 of the
Champions League secured despite losing
at Basle.
As impressive as Southampton were at
the start, the Blues began their first of
nine December games woefully before
recovering by out-muscling their
opponents in the manner of Mourinho
teams of yesteryear.
And now the second-placed Blues are well
positioned in a week which sees further
tests against Sunderland and Stoke.
Never before has Mourinho suffered a
league loss at Stamford Bridge, relying on
hard work and, at times, luck.
Chelsea needed a controversial last-gasp
penalty to draw with West Brom in the
most recent home match.
That was the only time Chelsea had
dropped points at home this season, but
within seconds of their seventh home
game beginning they were behind.
Nathaniel Clyne's ball down the right fell
for Essien, who hooked it hopefully
backwards over the head of Cahill and
Rodriguez coolly side-footed in.
There was jubilation from Mauricio
Pochettino and the visiting bench,
knowing Southampton had won all six
previous games in which they had opened
the scoring this season.
Torres tried to spark a revival, surging
into the area before tripping under the
attentions of Jose Fonte as he prepared
to shoot.
Boruc saved an Oscar shot before James
Ward-Prowse curled a free-kick wide for
Saints, as the visitors gave as good as they
got.
Essien was off the pace as Saints enjoyed
midfield supremacy and the Chelsea man
was booked for diving after losing the ball
next to Morgan Schneiderlin in his own
half.
Torres' persistence down the right almost
paid off when he crossed for Oscar, whose
header was saved by Boruc before the
Brazil attacking midfielder went off
injured, with Frank Lampard coming on.
Boruc was at full stretch to deny Torres as
the striker met Eden Hazard's cross and
Lampard was unable to reach the follow
up as Southampton cleared and reached
the break with their lead intact.
Mourinho had seen enough and retreated
from his technical area furious at his
team's first-half display before referee
Michael Oliver had blown for the break.
Essien, who spent last season with
Mourinho at Real Madrid and was named
'The Wall' by the man he calls 'Daddy',
did not return for the second half as Ba
joined Torres up front.
A Lampard free-kick had Boruc back-
pedalling and the goalkeeper palmed the
ball over, but from the resulting corner
the Pole was beaten and Chelsea were
level.
Mata's set-piece found Branislav Ivanovic,
whose header was redirected by Ba on to
the post.
The ball ricocheted back, deceiving Boruc,
and Cahill headed the ball in.
There was a lengthy pause following the
goal as Boruc went off.
Gazzaniga's first act was to retrieve the
ball from his net as Lampard returned a
half-cleared corner to Mata and Terry
rose highest to head into the
Southampton net.
Chelsea were still well below their best
despite squeezing Southampton into
submission.
Ba did well to meet Cesar Azpilicueta's
lofted pass behind Fonte, but dragged his
shot wide with the goal gaping.
Torres was replaced by John Obi Mikel for
the final few minutes as Mourinho sought
further defensive security.
After Dani Osvaldo twice shot off target,
Chelsea claimed a third.
Ramires kept possession on Chelsea's left
before lofting a ball over for Ba to tuck in
his first Premier League goal of the
season and only the fourth by a Chelsea
striker.
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