Chelsea - 2 Southampton - 1: Life at Chelsea is so comfortable that a certain drowsiness has set in. Conceding a goal after 12 seconds merely left people with the relaxed reflection that there was a yawning stretch of time left to rectify the situation. This fourth consecutive win gave the club their best start to a season in the top division but no one had come to brag

Without seeming to show great verve Chelsea could have had five goals by the interval. That realisation should take the edge off Southampton's anger about the penalty that decided the game. Their first complaint was that Claus Lundekvam had handled the ball only because his arm shot up in reaction to a shove by Didier Drogba.

Steve Bennett saw nothing more than the usual jostling at corners. The officials, though, were not to spot a slipping Frank Lampard converting his spot-kick by inadvertently hitting the ball from one foot on to the other before it flew in. The goal ought to have been disallowed.

Southampton might wish to avoid all sight of the highlights of this game. A 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge is no calamity but the midfield were sloppy in possession and the back four was tormented at will by Chelsea.

Southampton's sense of direction cannot be as wayward as Joe Cole's was in the 12th second of the match. Aiming to roll the ball back towards his defence, he put it into the path of James Beattie, who sent a magnificent first-time drive swooping over Petr Cech and high into the net.

Eventually Cole had to give way to Damien Duff in the attacking role on the left and he has much to prove.

The equaliser against Southampton, in the 34th minute, was to come only when Eidur Gudjohnsen's flick broke off Beattie to cross the line. Even so the visitors will realise that Chelsea, who have signed the Portuguese utility player Nuno Morais, were always bound to come up with the goals required.