Chelsea were poor on Tuesday evening as they let a one-goal lead slip away at Southampton. The Blues have dropped down to eighth place in the Premier League table following the defeat down on the south coast.
Raheem Sterling had given Chelsea the lead on 23 minutes, but Romeo Lavia's fine strike levelled the match swiftly after. Adam Armstrong was on hand to score in stoppage time of the first half in what turned out to be the decisive goal at St. Mary's.
Thomas Tuchel was predictably a very frustrated figure when facing the press after the game. With that said, football.london takes a look at how the national media have reacted, with some claiming the Chelsea head coach now faces a bit of pressure.
READ MORE: Every word Thomas Tuchel said on Chelsea defeat, late signings, injuries, squad mentality and more
The Telegraph
"The pressure returns to Thomas Tuchel, a Chelsea manager with a squad that is getting bigger – and ever more expensive – while the performances decline, now consigned to their second defeat of the Premier League season before the end of August.
"Perhaps Wesley Fofana will make the difference when, if expected, his arrival takes Chelsea’s summer spending to somewhere in the region of £280 million on transfer fees alone, although it feels like the big problems are somewhere other than defence. This is by no means a Chelsea team with the back door bolted shut but it is in attack where they seem to lack a focal point – that big threat that no amount of money seems to be able to acquire."
The Guardian
"As the second half leaked away and Chelsea haplessly chased a late equalising goal, Thomas Tuchel started pulling the levers. On came Christian Pulisic, then Armando Broja. Raheem Sterling continued to plug away on the left, Hakim Ziyech on the right, Mason Mount in the centre. Kai Havertz and Ruben Loftus-Cheek had already made way. Still there are those in the Chelsea hierarchy who reckon that somehow the solution to their current incontinence is a lack of attackers.
"There were plenty of excuses for Chelsea to grasp at. There always are, if you want to find them. The absences of Reece James and N’Golo Kanté. The poor quality of the pitch. The chances created in the first half and the unrepeatable brilliance of Roméo Lavia’s game-changing equaliser. But the fact remains that this is still a brittle and skittish side, short on rhythm and inspiration, and one that appears to have completely mislaid the defensive stubbornness of the early Tuchel era."
The Mirror
"Chelsea have plenty of creative players in their side, who are all capable of creating big goalscoring chances. But the draw at St Mary's Stadium showed more than ever that they are crying out for a striker to finish those chances off.
"Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling and Hakim Ziyech all had chances to open the scoring in the first half. None of them were able to trouble Gavin Bazunu in the Southampton goal though, until Sterling's opener.
"The fact it took the Blues four good chances to finally score will be a concern to Tuchel, given his side will come up against much tougher defences. With Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool all having bought out-and-out scorers this summer, the Blues may need to follow that example."
The Daily Mail
"Firstly, Southampton took the points. And then they rubbed salt in Chelsea’s wounds by taking the mickey too. As their players soaked up the adulation on a deserved full-time lap of honour and a jubilant Ralph Hasenhuttl whipped up the crowd, they did so as ABBA’s Money Money Money was being pumped through the stadium speakers. It would not have been just a happy coincidence.
"This was Southampton - not afraid to poke fun at themselves, as they did following Bournemouth’s 9-0 loss at Liverpool by referencing their own two defeats against Leicester and Manchester United by the same scoreline - cheekily enjoying their moment, beating the Premier League’s big spenders and extending the stop-start, frustrating beginning to the new season for Thomas Tuchel and his side.
"The best part of £200m worth of signings have already been confirmed by Chelsea and there will be more to come before Thursday’s deadline. This was a timely reminder of their need for even more quality. One of the only positives they can take away is that they still have almost 48 hours to add whatever they can, wherever they can."
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