Southampton resilience keeps Chelsea at bay in game of distinct halves | Michael Cox

Willian’s introduction at the break gave Blues midfield domination but Fraser Forster was not tested in second 45 minutes

• Match report: Southampton 1-1 Chelsea

Halfway through the Premier League season these two sides boast the best defensive records in the Premier League so there was no surprise this game produced just two shots on target: the two goals. The pattern of the game was interesting, however – Chelsea’s first-half performance was one of their least convincing of the campaign, before José Mourinho’s side imposed total domination after the break.

The combination of Nemanja Matic and Mikel John Obi had overpowered Stoke City last Monday, but here they met their match in Victor Wanyama and Morgan Schneiderlin, one of the most physical midfield duos in the division. Schneiderlin constantly made timely interceptions to break up Chelsea’s passing moves while Wanyama was extremely energetic and constantly supported team mates against tricky opponents.

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via Chelsea | The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/dec/28/southampton-resilience-chelsea-game-distinct-halves