Pressure on Graham Potter mounts as Southampton beat Chelsea

Chelsea's season sank to a new and alarming low as they were beaten at Stamford Bridge by the Premier League’s bottom side Southampton.

A converted free-kick from James Ward-Prowse on the stroke of half-time put the Saints’ captain one goal behind David Beckham in the competition’s all-time standings, and sent Graham Potter’s team to a fourth consecutive winless match in the league.

With five of the club’s eight January signings in the staring XI, Potter saw his team labour to find any invention against a Saints side set up by interim boss Ruben Selles to frustrate the hosts’ expensively assembled attacking cavalry. Victory in their first match since the sacking of Nathan Jones was everything they deserved.

Chelsea have scored just once at home in 2022, and the lack of a recognised striker was made painfully apparent yet again.

The game started ominously for Potter. Benoit Badiashile, so impressive until now in Chelsea blue, was caught out by Kamaldeen Sulemana as the ball dropped over his shoulder, only for Southampton’s January signing to be denied a first Premier League goal by the foot of Kepa Arrizabalaga. From the follow-up, Kalidou Koulibaly steered Stuart Armstrong’s effort to safety from in front of the goal line.

Southampton’s game plan hinged on frustrating Chelsea by slowing the play down wherever possible, but there was little in the first half to suggest the hosts’ advanced midfield three of Mason Mount, Noni Madueke and Joao Felix held the key to unlocking Saints.

Five minutes before half-time, David Fofana – in for his first Chelsea start – snatched at a shot from 20 yards that revealed more about his team’s first-half frustrations than their attacking ambition.

Southampton took the lead in a familiar fashion.