Chelsea lack pep as Rafa remains in fans’ firing line

Chelsea 2 Southampton 2

On the day Roman Abramovich’s long-term courtship of the former Barcelona coach was finally brought to an end after Guardiola announced he was taking up the challenge of leading Bayern Munich, the Chelsea owner’s stop-gap appointment suffered another excruciating evening in front of what are supposed to be his home supporters.

Impressive on their travels yet stuttering on home turf, Benitez’s side followed successive home defeats to Queens Park Rangers and Swansea by squandering a two-goal half-time lead against a side they had crushed 5-1 at St Mary’s Stadium less than two weeks previously.

When Eden Hazard struck Chelsea’s second goal immediately before half time, after Demba Ba had put them ahead midway through the half, it seemed certain Benitez would be able to reflect on an 11-point gap between his side and leaders Manchester United and the possibility of a revived title challenge.

The position at the final whistle was very different. By then Rickie Lambert and Jason Puncheon had brought Southampton back into the game and, inhibited by the tensions within the stadium, Chelsea could find no response.

The reaction at the final whistle was as predictable as it has become familiar with a chorus of boos accompanying the departure of the players from the pitch and Benitez left in no doubt he was not amongst friends.

“We should have won,” said Benitez, resisting the temptation to simply say his side had thrown the points away.

“No, I’m not angry. I’m disappointed. I was talking with the team at half time saying we needed a third goal, don’t make mistakes and let them have a goal, but we didn’t do it and they took their chances.”

With Arsenal next to visit on Sunday, a similar display could produce an even more painful outcome.

Ba showed once again he has added a cutting edge to the side and the quality of his finish for the opening goal — an acrobatic volley from Cesar Azpilicueta’s deflected shot for his third in three starts since his £7.5m transfer from Newcastle — was outstanding.

So was Hazard’s. The Belgian directed a powerful shot towards the top corner after Ramires had struck the bar .

All that was required was for Chelsea to keep out the newly-promoted side who started the game two points above the bottom three. The task proved beyond them once Lambert had been introduced from the substitutes’ bench in the 55th minute. Within three minutes the striker directed a powerful header beyond Petr Cech from Nathaniel Clyne’s cross and the doubts began to grow among Benitez’s players.

Chelsea responded briefly but then they were guilty of allowing Southampton’s teenage left-back Luke Shaw to run from inside his own half to the home penalty area before squaring for Puncheon, who teed up the ball with one touch and volleyed home with his second.

Benitez introduced Fernando Torres for Frank Lampard in the 80th minute to more boos, confirming that goodwill for the £50m striker has run out.

Away from Chelsea’s problems, Southampton’s Nigel Adkins found cause for optimism. “We played them 10 days ago and they beat us five,” he said. “If we opened up between the lines, they’d hurt us. So we came compact, looked to hit on the counter and frustrate. It’s two defeats in 12 games, both 1-0s, and it shows we’re improving.”

CHELSEA (4-3-2-1): Cech 6; Azpilicueta 6, Cahill 5, Luiz 6, Cole 5; Ramires 6, Lampard 6 (Torres 80,6); Mata 7, Oscar 6, Hazard 7; Ba 7.

SOUTHAMPTON (4-5-1): Boruc 6; Clyne 7, Yoshida 6, Hooiveld 6, Shaw 8; Puncheon 8, Schneiderlin 7, Davis 6 (Chaplow 67,6), Cork 7, Do Prado 5 (Ramirez 64,6; Rodriguez 6 (Lambert 55,7).

Referee: M Oliver.