Premier League (PL) strugglers Southampton grabbed a stunning 1-0 victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, thanks to a deadly free-kick from James Ward-Prowse, recording a vital three points for just the second time in 12 league matches.
Both sides have endured substandard seasons so far, and whilst it is likely to end in a mid-table finish for Graham Potter’s Chelsea, it looks to be a dire situation for Southampton, who sacked manager Nathan Jones after a bizarre 94-day tenure in which he lost all but one game.
They went into their trip to Stamford Bridge as the PL’s bottom club, managed by interim boss Rubén Sellés, who has recently made clear his intentions to audition for the permanent role.
Despite their recent woes, the Saints flew out of the blocks.
The visitors dominated the early possession, and Kamaldeen Sulemana tested Chelsea stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga, before towering new signing Paul Onuachu saw a header loop just wide of the post.
Chelsea failed to get a foothold in the game, despite the efforts of January signing Noni Madueke, who shot into the side netting.
The visitors reaped the rewards for their first-half performance on the stroke of HT in familiar fashion, as they opened the scoring courtesy of a fantastic whipped 25-yard free-kick from specialist Ward-Prowse.
The goal took the Southampton captain to within one of David Beckham’s PL record of 18 free-kick goals.
Chelsea had made numerous changes to the side that succumbed to a 1-0 UEFA Champions League defeat on Wednesday, but the Blues still looked jaded.
Nevertheless, the tide shifted, with the home side controlling the match and Southampton playing on the counter.
Raheem Sterling’s introduction made an impact, and the England international saw two attempts blocked, most importantly a diving header which made its way past Gavin Bazunu, but not defender Romain Perraud, who cleared off the line.
A serious head injury to César Azpilicueta led to 12 minutes of injury time, which gave the hosts a chance to find an equaliser, but Southampton defended fearlessly and saw out a famous win.
While not enough to lift them from the foot of the PL table, victory under Sellés will certainly be a boost to the Saints in both points tally and morale.
Now with just three wins in his last 17 matches in all competitions at Chelsea, Potter may be fearing for his future as his team head to Tottenham Hotspur next weekend.
