LIVE BLOG

90+5min: FULL TIME.

90+3min: GOOOOOALLL! Morata scores for the second match running! A sequence of ole as Chelsea pass it around, before Hazard breaks towards goal, finds Morata, who dinks it over the goalkeeper! 3-0, CHELSEA!

90+2min: Alonso’s shot is blocked as the minutes tick away.

90+1min: Southampton find Ings in the box as Rüdiger misses his interception, he beats one but Jorginho’s there to clear just ahead of a shot. Great tracking back in added-on time.

90min: Ings crunches Kovačić, who’s lucky to not be injured. Ings only gets a yellow.

88min: Chelsea continue to look for a third, but Hazard is crowded out and then Kovačić’s shot is blocked for a corner. Hazard takes and finds Rüdiger steaming in at the far post, but can’t quite make the right contact and the goalkeeper saves.

87min: Morata gives away a free kick 20-25 yards out and Bertrand sizes up the opportunity. But his effort is into the wall.

83min: Kepa called into action again as Ings goes for goal from 20 yards out after a poor touch from Azpilicueta let Southampton in. Another strong hand from the goalkeeper. Hoedt blasts high and wild from the following corner.

80min: Tremendous ball from Jorginho released Hazard, who finds Morata 1-v-1 with the keeper. But the striker overthinks the situation and instead of going far post, he tries to surprise the goalkeeper with the low near post shot. McCarthy gets a hand down and saves. Kovačić replaces Barkley in the meantime.

79min: Rüdiger heads clear on Bertrand‘s cross, but Redmond picks up the ball 25 yards out and unleashes a volley that looks to be dipping right underneath the crossbar. But Kepa’s there to push it onto the bar and over! Great shot, great save!

78min: Shane Long, who’s got a habit of being annoying (and scoring) against Chelsea, on for Gabbiadini. Southampton have a corner, David Luiz clears.

76min: Half-chance for Hazard after some great work from Barkley, but his cross is too long for Kanté. Chelsea keep the ball, but a second cross from Hazard is cleared.

74min: Pedro for Willian is standard sub number two from Sarri.

70min: Hazard still willing and wanting, looking for his shot. But as he works across the top of the box, left to right, he runs into Willian, and the shot is blocked.

68min: First change right on time, Morata replacing assist-man Giroud.

67min: Rüdiger’s headed clearance is weak and falls to the feet of Hojbjerg in acres of space, 15 yards out. But Rudi is out quickly to close him down and block the shot.

66min: Hojbjerg latest Southampton man into the book, for taking Giroud down with both feet.

61min: Romeu collects his customary yellow for a body check on Hazard. Earlier, Cedric got one for a foul on Hazard as well.

58min: GOOOOOOAALLL!!! From the resulting free kick, taken by Willian, Barkley opens his Chelsea account by tapping in an acrobatic overhead effort from Giroud, which was flashing across the face of goal. Another assist for the big man. 2-0, CHELSEA!

56min: A much better ball from Willian finds Hazard on the counter, but he’s stopped by an Ings foul. Apparently no yellow.

54min: Lemina gets a yellow for fouling Barkley.

52min: Willian gives the ball away again and Redmond drives at the backline. He finds Ings who volleys it straight at Arrizabalaga, who gathers easily.

50min: Willian gives the ball away and Southampton hold possession. A deep cross from Hojbjerg finds Bertrand at the far post, but his first-time effort goes sky high.

48min: Chelsea pass it around, working back and forth, right to left, before Willian gets on the ball and creates a yard of space just outside the area to shoot. McCarthy gathers without much hassle.

46min: Back underway. Southampton replace Bednarek with Chelsea old boy Oriol Romeu, and switch to a back four.

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HALF-TIME: Dominant from Chelsea, but Southampton have had the biggest chance, Ings shooting high from 4 yards out when it looked easier to score. Hazard made no mistake at the other end with his clear cut chance, and Chelsea thus lead 1-0. Chelsea should’ve had two clear penalties, but referee Pawson has ignored both Hoedt’s tackle on Giroud and Bertrand’s shirt pull on Kanté.

45+1min: Bertrand beats Azpilicueta and wins a free kick just outside the area off of Giroud, helping back. Pawson gives the foul a bit further out and Bertrand earns a yellow for dissent. Then Chelsea clear the free kick anyway, and Pawson blows for half-time. 1-0.

43min: Chelsea 11th corner actually generates a shot, but Alonso’s acrobatic effort is wide.

39min: Chelsea should have another penalty as Bertrand blatantly pulls Kanté’s shirt. No call and the shooting chance is gone. Chelsea maintain possession however, and win a couple more corners that go to waste.

36min: Rüdiger gives the ball away but Kepa easily saves the resulting long shot.

34min: Back to the usual pattern. David Luiz appears to have picked up a niggle and has signaled to the bench. Cahill’s gone to warm up.

31min: GOOOOOOALLLLL!! Chelsea win the ball back with the high press after Southampton win the ball from Hazard. Barkley finds Hazard in space at the top of the box, and he makes no mistake. Great play by Barkley. 1-0, CHELSEA!

28min: Chelsea attack the space, Hazard finding Giroud in the box, who gets cleaned out by Hoedt. Referee gives a corner because he’s blind.

26min: Southampton keep the ball for a minute before using the pace of Redmond and Bertrand to get around the Chelsea defense. Bertrand swings in a cross but Ings puts it over from about 4 yards out.

23min: Kanté gives the ball away and Southampton hold on to it and create a half-chance. Alonso in the way as Lemina tries to shoot and Kepa collects. Chelsea then give the ball away again but Kepa saves Gabbiadini’s shot from outside the area.

21min: A succession of corners ends like all the other corners in the last couple games.

19min: Chelsea win another corner after Southampton almost score an own goal. Willian takes, but it’s cleared easily. Hazard collects, and the cycle continues.

17min: Hazard passes up his shot, Barkley does not. He generates great power, but he’s leaning back a bit when he hits it and it goes high.

14min: Chelsea continue to probe, but without getting a shot off. Southampton with all 11 men in their own defensive third.

10min: Chelsea win the ball back after a second corner comes to nothing. Chelsea wasted a ton of corners against Vidi and that has continued through two opportunities already. It’s all Chelsea at the moment however, 80%+ of the ball.

7min: Early Chelsea pressure and possession, as the usual pattern emerges already.

KICK-OFF: Chelsea get us underway in the bright South Coast sunshine, in the light bleu of the third kit

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Draws in the last two weekends have maintained Chelsea’s unbeaten record, but have dropped the Blues two points behind the two league leaders. They play each other after the conclusion of this match (at Anfield), so a Chelsea win could put the Blues right back into the thick of things depending on how that match goes.

Either way, it’s the final game before the two-week international break and three points are needed.

Chelsea will be wearing the new third kit for the first time.

Here we go.

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Southampton starting lineup (3-4-1-2):
McCarthy | Yoshida, Hoedt, Bednarek | Bertrand, Lemina, Højbjerg, Cédric | Redmond | Gabbiadini, Ings

Substitutes from: Vestergaard, Long, Davis, Austin, Romeu, Gunn, Targett

Chelsea starting lineup (4-3-3):
Arrizabalaga | Alonso, Rüdiger, David Luiz, Azpilicueta (c) | Barkley, Jorginho, Kanté | Hazard, Giroud, Willian

Substitutes from: Caballero, Cahill, Zappacosta, Fàbregas, Kovačić, Pedro, Morata

One difference from the lineup everyone was expecting: Barkley for Kovačić, who was probably due a rest after playing a lot of football in recent weeks.

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Date / Time: Sunday, October 7, 2018, 14:15 BST; 9:15am EDT; 6:45pm IST
Venue: St Mary’s, Southampton, England
Referee: Craig Pawson

On TV: Sky Sports Main Event (UK); NBCSN, Telemundo (USA); Star Sports Select HD1 (India); elsewhere
Streaming online: Sky Go (UK); NBC Sports Live, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo (USA); Hotstar (India)

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Be excellent to each other.