LONDON: Timo Werner fired Chelsea to the top of the Premier League when Germany’s final goal inspired a 3-1 victory full of controversy against 10-Man Southampton on Saturday.
The Thomas Tuchel side ended the week which frustrated with a high tone thanks to Werner’s contribution to the dramatic final at Stamford Bridge.
After being involved in a successive 1-0 1-0 against Manchester City and Juventus, the Blues were in danger of other disappointing results with only a few minutes left in West London which was soaked with rain.
The initial opening of Trevoh Chalobah for Chelsea was canceled by James Ward-Prowse’s penalty in the second round.
But Prowse Wards was sent for bad cottage in Jorghinho and Chelsea took full advantage because Werner restored their superiority with six minutes left before Ben Chilwell wrapped up points.
Chelsea sat two points from Liverpool who were in second place, with the Jurgen Klopp team being able to get a pole position if they beat the Champions Manchester City on Sunday.
The failure to defeat the Southampton team is still looking for their first league victory this season will lead to serious questions about European champions.
So it was a great relief for Tuchel to return to the trail towards an international vacation when Chelsea put them one of their rare blips from the German government behind them.
Frustrated with what he gave the label “weird look” against Juventus on Wednesday and the same losses were shoreled in the city last weekend, Tuchel made five changes in an effort to shake the “tired” team.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek handed over his first league for Chelsea since September 2020, while Jorgho, Kai Havertz and Marcos Alonso were among those who fell.
For a man who barely made a feet mistake because he took over in January, Tuchel showed that he did not lose his midival’s touch as the three players he brought to the team combined for the opening of nine minutes.
Loftus-cheeks towered above the Southampton defense to drive Chilwell’s corner to the far post, where Chalobah dived home from close range.
Loftus-cheeks narrowly seeped from 18 yards and Chilwell’s close range shot was rejected by Alex McCarthy before Romelu Lukaku was rejected properly by the offside flag after he put the house.
Werner thought he doubled Chelsea’s lead for a moment before half-time when he got up on two defenders to leave the Callum Hudson-odoi cross.
However, with the two teams back in the position to start, Var intervention was late convincing referee Martin Atkinson to rule that Cesar Azpilicueta had cut the Heel Kyle Walker-Peters far earlier in a buildup to the destination.
It was a debatable decision and tuchel incandescent with anger, waving his hand in protest when he briefly marched into the field – an attack that made a booking as a boos down from the stands.
Shaken by the controversial moment, Chelsea lost their grip and Southampton took advantage to equalize in the 61st minute.
Tino Livramento’s right-back, who left Chelsea in the close, made a sharp attack that imposes a panic violation from Chilwell in the penalty area.
Atkinson pointed to the place and environmental clamp stepped to send Edouard Mendey in a wrong way with a penalty.
But Ward-Prowse could not have complaints when Atkinson sent him after consulting a Pitchside monitor to review evil violations that left Jorginho’s replacement with a pain with 14 minutes.
It proved the turning point as Chelsea took advantage of their numerical advantage in the 84th minute.
Ross Barkley sprayed fine bait to Azpilicueta and half-volleyball cross perfectly for Werner to shoot McCarthy from close range.
Five minutes later, Lukaku and Azpilicueta crashed into position quickly before Chilwell drove a rebound.