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German striker Timo Werner scored his first Premier League goals to put Chelsea up two in the first half.
Southampton players celebrate during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and the Saints at Stamford Bridge in London on October 17, 2020. Image: @ SouthamptonFC / Twitter
LONDON – Chelsea paid the price for an unfortunate defense when Jannik Vestergaard pulled the tie in injury time for Southampton in their dramatic 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
German striker Timo Werner scored his first Premier League goals to put Chelsea up two in the first half.
But Danny Ings landed a goal for Southampton before mistakes by Kurt Zouma and Kepa Arrizabalaga tied Che Adams in the second half.
Kai Havertz seemed to have avoided the blush of his teammates as the German midfielder restored Chelsea’s lead.
But Frank Lampard’s team was denied when Southampton defender Vestergaard headed home in the final moments.
Chelsea have just two wins in five league games and have already conceded nine goals.
Lampard will be encouraged to see Werner score for the first time in the league in his fifth appearance in the competition since his £ 45 million ($ 58 million) move from Leipzig.
The 24-year-old, who scored against Tottenham in the League Cup in September, was a constant threat to Southampton’s defense.
Havertz was to blame for Southampton’s first goal, but regained his composure to offer the most promising display since his £ 70m transfer from Bayer Leverkusen.
There was also the welcome image of Hakim Ziyech making his Chelsea debut in a 19-minute substitute cameo after recovering from the knee injury that delayed his involvement after his departure from Ajax.
But, as always with Chelsea, mistakes by Zouma and Kepa underscored problems that remain unresolved at the rear and could prove fatal to their chances of mounting a title challenge.
With Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy injured, Kepa was making his first Chelsea appearance in nearly a month after being eliminated after a buggy start to the season, but his latest mistake is likely to see him exiled again. .
Zouma may also be fired once Thiago Silva is ready to return.
CHAOTIC SCRAMBLE
Chelsea had started well and took the lead in the 15th minute.
Ben Chilwell aimed his pass at Werner and the forward reached deep to deftly throw it behind him before circling the bewildered Jan Bednarek.
Across the Southampton area, Werner cleverly guided his shot to the left and past the carefree Alex McCarthy.
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl signed Werner for Leipzig in 2016 and the talent he identified was on full display with another predatory finish in the 29th minute.
Jorginho made an excellent first-time pass on Bednarek and Werner controlled his chest before deftly throwing the ball over McCarthy and heading home under pressure from two defenders.
Southampton have a forward with clinical instincts to match Werner and Ings gave them a lifeline in the 43rd minute.
Havertz was dispossessed too easily within his own half and Adams slipped a pass through Ings, who got behind the slow Chelsea defense, passed Kepa and into the empty net.
Suddenly, Southampton were on the rise and their pressure was rewarded in the 57th minute thanks to mistakes by Zouma and Kepa.
Zouma started the charade goal with a woefully low back pass and Kepa fueled the fire as he went off his line and completely missed the ball.
Kepa crashed into a post in the chaotic revolt that followed, but Chelsea couldn’t clear and Adams threw the ball high on the roof of the net.
If that was a ridiculous way to concede, Lampard’s team had the perfect response as he conjured a sublime goal just 121 seconds later.
Christian Pulisic’s incisive run and pass found Werner and he passed the ball to Havertz, who finished from 10 yards.
But Chelsea’s sloppy defense kept Southampton in the game and, in the second minute of injury time, Zouma’s weak header was returned to the area by Theo Walcott and Vestergaard ducked to return home.
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