Chelsea - 0 Southampton - 0:English Premiership: Chelsea shook up their side and broke up their form. With a selection that had no room initially for William Gallas, Graeme Le Saux or Frank Lampard, the club failed to win a home match for the first occasion since September 28th. It would be an unmerited slight on highly effective visitors to suppose that Claudio Ranieri's rotation policy was the sole factor, but it had an effect.
The Chelsea coach can argue that his revamped line-up might have struggled through. Gallas came on in the 86th minute and, set up by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, compelled Antti Niemi to a spry save before seeming, absurdly, to get in the way of two drives by John Terry in stoppage time.
On the latter occasion, Chelsea were convinced a Southampton player had handled and Ranieri, with black humour, referred to "two goalkeepers" in the incident.
Against obdurate and balanced visitors, duress and panic needed to be provoked much sooner. Ranieri found the result tolerable, but he may have set the wrong tone at the beginning of a critical period. Chelsea faltered last season with only a single point from games against the five clubs they are again facing at the turn of the year.
They started that schedule more effectively this time around with the defeat of Aston Villa but one might have expected Ranieri to be hell-bent on a maximum return from yesterday's home game considering Chelsea now travel to Leeds United and, ominously, Arsenal.
No one can deny his right to get maximum flexibility from a handsomely paid squad, but the timing will be questioned. As if Southampton were not intractable enough, the Stamford Bridge surface is also obstructive and the pitch will be relaid after the fixture with Charlton on January 11th.
Southampton, who so often found a covering challenge such as the one Chris Marsden produced after De Lucas had been supplied by Zola before the interval. Yet there is more to Southampton than a resilient back four.
"They play very easy," Ranieri said admiringly of the uncomplicated system that makes Southampton capable of the consistency required for a spot in the upper half of the table.
"There's a nice glow to us," said manager Gordon Strachan. Now Chelsea must show that they will not dim in the quest for the title.
Guardian Service.
CHELSEA: de Goey, Babayaro, Desailly, Terry, Melchiot (Gallas 86), Zenden (Lampard 85), Petit, Morris, De Lucas (Gudjohnsen 80), Zola, Hasselbaink. Subs Not Used: Pidgeley, Gronkjaer. Booked: Melchiot.
SOUTHAMPTON: Niemi, Bridge, Michael Svensson, Lundekvam, Telfer, Marsden, Delap, Oakley (Anders Svensson 90), Fernandes, Beattie, Tessem (Davies 85). Subs Not Used: Jones, Williams, Ormerod. Booked: Bridge, Fernandes.
Referee: P Durkin (Dorset).
