Chelsea 1 - Southampton 1: Initial reaction and community rating form

Chelsea were mostly terrible during the first 45 minutes, but looked like the team that we saw early in the season after the second half kicked off. In the end, a draw was probably a fair indication of the balance of play, and puts the Blues one point closer to clinching the Premier League title.

The lead atop the table is now at six points, with Jose Mourinho's side still having played one match less than their rivals. A win obviously would have been better, but all in all, it's hard to find too much to complain about following the turnaround in this one.

Thoughts:

• Somehow, Lee Dixon's performance today overshadowed how badly Chelsea were playing during the first half. By the time the halftime whistle blew, I was yearning for Tony Gale.
• For as bad as Chelsea were before halftime, they were excellent after the break. Whatever Mourinho said during the middle of the game today, seemed to have worked.
• Southampton did their homework ahead of this one. Win the ball, quickly kick the ball into the hole vacated by Branislav Ivanovic. It's amazing how long it took for Chelsea to adjust.
• Chelsea's shopping list this summer needs to include midfield cover, as it's pretty clear that we need cover for both Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas very, very badly.
• One place the Blues won't need to spend significant money to upgrade for a very long time is in goal. For as bad as Chelsea have been for long stretches recently, Thibaut Courtois has been excellent of late.