Kepa Arrizabalaga – Pulled off a very strong opening save from Kamaldeen Sulemana and had his work cut out to have any hope of denying James Ward-Prowse’s free kick. Made a crucial save after 73 minutes to deny Adam Armstrong. 7.

Cesar Azpilicueta – Chelsea’s captain conceded the foul Ward-Prowse scored from with a lumbering foul. Otherwise was fairly solid despite being put under pressure by Southampton’s press. Took a nasty knock to the head midway through the second half and had to be replaced. 6.

Kalidou Koulibaly – Picked up an early yellow for a clumsy high foot on Paul Onuachu, and may have been fortunate not to see red. Understandably replaced at the halfway mark after looking close to earning a second yellow during the first 45 minutes. 4.

Benoit Badiashile – An uncertain moment within the first minutes of the game as he failed to clear the ball past Sulemana, who saw his shot saved by Kepa. The Frenchman took a while to warm into the game but eventually did. 6.

Ben Chilwell – Had some difficult aerial duties up against Southampton’s Onuachu but dealt well with the situation despite the height disparity. Once again provided a more willing display to impact the opposition box and looked fitter than against Borussia Dortmund. 7.

Enzo Fernandez – The World Cup-winner struggled to make his influence felt in the match for an extended period as Chelsea’s midfield particularly struggled in the first half. Still showed good ability on the ball. 5.

Mateo Kovacic – The Croatian had a difficult first half but looked much more comfortable when Chelsea controlled the ball in the second period and he could control the tempo of the game more easily. 5.

Noni Madueke – The 13th minute saw Madueke finally able to stretch his legs on the ball and he drove well up the pitch to force a save from Gavin Bazunu. Produced some moment of ingenuity. 6.

Joao Felix – A grittier display from the Atletico Madrid loanee as he was mostly suffocated by his ability to produce some flare on the ball. Didn’t have a consistent enough impact. 5.

Mason Mount – An outing full of industry and a few moments of incisive play but Mount was still not up to the standard he would expect. 6.

Substitutes:

Wesley Fofana – A very confident display for his first competitive match since October. Perhaps slightly hesitant to release the ball quickly but a good performance. 7.

Raheem Sterling – Quickly had an impact on Chelsea’s left flank and probably proved to be the Blues’ best player on the pitch. Unfortunate to see his header cleared off the line but provided penetration on both wings. 7.

Mykhailo Mudryk – Had a limited impact following his introduction and had to play as wingback when Chilwell was replaced. 5.

Kai Havertz – Looked very lively as Chelsea looked for a goal and combined well with Sterling in advanced positions. Twice provided good passes for the winger. 7.

Trevoh Chalobah – Arrived on the pitch as Chelsea adjusted to a back three and helped the backline stay tight as the Blues pushed in search of an equaliser. 6.

Conor Gallagher – Went close with a late drive into the box in stoppage time but couldn’t find the net. 6.

Photo Credit: ChelseaFC/Twitter

Tags: Chelsea, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Raheem Sterling, Southampton

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has said the club’s board back his decision to drop goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to the bench.

Kepa became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper when he moved to the West London club for £71.5million last season – however Willy Cabellero has been Lampard’s No 1 goalkeeper in recent weeks.

According to ESPN, Lampard said:”I am absolutely together with the club and the board.

“We all want the best. I am paid to make decisions.

“It has been a decision to make on form with the goalkeeping situation. Recently it’s just changed, but that’s nothing final.

“All Kepa needs to do is train and show a great attitude, as I demand from all the players. And things can obviously change.”

Tags: Chelsea, Frank Lampard, Kepa Arrizabalaga

Chelsea midfielder Jorginho claims teammate Kepa Arrizabalaga was fined for being “a little fat.”

The revelation was made as Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic played a game with ESPN Brazil where one of them would have to guess the name of a Chelsea player using a series of clues from the other.

According to The Sun, when Kovacic was given Kepa’s name, he presented a clue to Jorginho by saying: “He’s a little fat.”

When Jorginho responded by saying that there was at least two Chelsea players who have had issues with weight, Kovacic cheekily added: “He could be a manager.”

That was a hilarious dig at Kepa’s infamous bust-up with former manager Maurizio Sarri in last season’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.

And armed with two key clues, Jorginho was finally able to say the mystery man was indeed Kepa.

The Italian then said: “He paid a fine. I think he’s paid a fine because he’s chubby.

“Kepa? You killed him in this one. He will remember that.”

Frank Lampard’s list of fines was leaked online earlier this season, but there is no suggestion that players who are overweight are docked any cash.

However, Jorginho has now indicated that players carrying excess baggage may have to cough up as punishment.

Tags: Chelsea, Jorginho, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Mateo Kovacic