Southampton inflict fresh misery on ‘soft’ Chelsea

LONDON – Thomas Tuchel urged “soft” Chelsea to toughen up after a shock 2-1 defeat in opposition to Southampton plunged his spluttering workforce into Premier League turmoil on Tuesday.

Tuchel’s aspect blew the lead at St Mary’s after Raheem Sterling put them forward halfway via the primary half.

England ahead Sterling bagged his third aim in two video games with a close-range strike within the twenty third minute.

But Chelsea had squandered a bunch of probabilities earlier than Sterling’s opener and, not for the primary time in Tuchel’s reign, their profligate ending got here again to hang-out them.

Romeo Lavia equalised within the twenty eighth minute together with his first aim for Southampton, curling house from the sting of the realm after Chelsea did not clear a nook.

Adam Armstrong put Southampton forward on the stroke of half-time as he took Romain Perraud’s go and drilled a deflected shot previous Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy.

Chelsea, overwhelmed 3-0 at Leeds of their earlier away fixture, have been unable to muster a response as they slipped to a second defeat from their final three video games.

“Soft, soft, soft defending. There is no need to give shots away. Just toughen up as a team and show a different mentality,” Tuchel stated.

With simply two wins from their first 5 matches, the Blues are already 5 factors behind leaders Arsenal, who play their recreation in hand in opposition to Aston Villa on Wednesday.

Despite a big close-season spending spree, which is about to proceed with a number of extra signings mooted earlier than Thursday’s switch deadline, Chelsea are struggling to seek out any sustained momentum at current.

While it’s too early to put in writing them out of the title race, Tuchel can be involved by his workforce’s newest sloppy show – with key errors at each ends of the pitch – having already criticised them publicly after the Leeds loss.

“It is too easy to put us off balance, to beat us, to confuse us. It is too easy. It happened against Leeds. We need to understand why and find solutions,” Tuchel stated.

“We lose concentration, we lose our plan and lose consistency. I don’t understand why we have so many injuries.

“In a match the place you might be within the lead there isn’t a want to provide away half-chances. To haven’t any solutions within the second half was disappointing.”

EVERTON FRUSTRATED

Everton’s look ahead to a primary win this season goes on after Luis Sinisterra’s first league aim for Leeds earned a 1-1 draw at Elland Road.

Frank Lampard’s workforce went forward when Alex Iwobi’s incisive go was flicked via the legs of Diego Llorente by Anthony Gordon, whose medical end capped an excellent transfer within the seventeenth minute.

But Colombia winger Sinisterra marked his first begin for Jesse Marsch’s males in memorable trend with a composed end from Brenden Aaronson’s go within the fifty fifth minute.

Fulham ended Brighton’s unbeaten begin to the season with a 2-1 win at Craven Cottage that lifted them to sixth place.

Fourth-placed Brighton had received three of their first 4 video games, however Marco Silva’s promoted aspect broke the impasse within the forty eighth minute via Aleksandar Mitrovic’s fifth aim this season.

Neeskens Kebano supplied the go and Serbia striker Mitrovic tapped in on the far publish for his one hundredth league aim for the Cottagers.

Fulham doubled their lead seven minutes later as Brighton defender Lewis Dunk diverted Andreas Pereira’s cross into his personal internet.

Alexis Mac Allister transformed a sixtieth minute penalty for Brighton after Pervis Estupinan fouled Bobby De Cordova-Reid.

Yoane Wissa’s late leveller rescued Brentford of their 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace.

Wilfried Zaha confirmed why Arsenal and Chelsea have been linked with him because the Ivory Coast ahead gave Palace the lead with a superb strike from the sting of the realm after 59 minutes.

But Wissa was left unmarked to equalise with a close-range header within the 88th minute.