A STUNNING goal by Gianfranco Zola last night consigned Southampton to the bottom of the Premiership for the first time this season. The Italian's strike was an oasis in the desert that was Chelsea's performance, but the home side nonetheless moved up to fifth in the table and within touching distance of a UEFA Cup place.

With matters at the wrong end of the table getting worrying for, Southampton, Graeme Souness had decided to trade Matthew Le Tissier's class for some bite and buzz and for much of the first half the ploy worked.

Southampton, with just one win in their eight league games before last night, threatened the Chelsea goal with uncomfortable regularity for the home side.

Eyal Berkovic, Le Tissier's replacement, penetrated down the right but everyone missed his cross, Egil Ostenstad fired in a header and Mike Evans fired in a couple of long range shots, the second of which Frode Grodas did well to save.

But having done so much right Southampton committed a mortal sin. They gave Zola too much space insight of goal. Not much, but he does not need much.

Grodas's long kick found Hughes deep in the Southampton half and his headed lay off landed, at Zola's feet on the edge of the area. Fatally, there was no stripeshirted defender within tackling range. The £4.5 million international took one look at the situation, grinned inwardly to himself and fired an unstoppable shot, to Mark Taylor's right for his 11th goal of the season.

Roberto Di Matteo and Mark Hughes both went close for Chelsea but Le Tissier less Southampton went in for the break knowing that what separated the teams was a touch of class.

Part of Souness's plan to get back into the game came as no surprise on 53 minutes Le Tissier made his appearance in place of Matthew Oakley.

But Le Tissier's problem at Southampton has not been so much his own ability as that of those around him. And for all their huff and puff the Saints were struggling to bother Grodas.

Evans sliced wide and the goalkeeper had to stretch for Ulrich Van Gobbel's deflected shot. But that was about it. Chelsea were equally barren in front of goal, Zola skewing a shot wide and Hughes forcing a low save from Taylor. The home side were sitting on their lead and Southampton could not do anything about it.