Saints came up against a Chelsea side who looked the real deal and it turned out to be a game too far as Saints lost for the first time in seven Premier League games.

Saints didn't play badly, but they didn't do justice to themselves either as they came up against a Chelsea side who Dave Merrington in his commentary described as the best that Saints have faced all season and i wouldn't disagree.

Saints came into the game with a raft of players either injured or coming back from injury and this meant that we weren't as sharp in the two areas that really mattered, at the back and up front.

It didn't help that we gifted Chelsea a goal after barely five minutes had been played, Eden Hazard allowed to start the move in the midfield and then run unchecked to receive a return ball, Steven Davis got back but the Chelsea man turned him and fired a low ball through the legs of Fraser Forster, a shot which the keeper will feel disappointed that he let in.

Saints huffed and puffed and worked hard, indeed they had 55% of the possession, but you felt that this suited Chelsea who were able to sit back and attack quickly and ruthlessly.

They could have gone in at the break with a bigger advantage but Forster who had a mixed game, kept them in it with a couple of smart saves.

But if second half Saints thought they ight get back in it, ten minutes after the break Chelsea had a two goal cushion, Diego Costa firing in a curling shot which left Forster no chance as it went in millimetres from the post.

It was still a contest, Charlie Austin had the ball in the net but was given offside, the Saints supporters disagreed, but TV replays showed that Austin was fractionally off and the linesman got it spot on, that perhaps was Saints luck on the day, it was a tight decision, no more than a couple of inches in it, on another day we might have got the break.

Now Saints have to go again, the good news is that we will start to get key players back from injury and this will give Claude Puel more options, Chelsea exposed our weaknesses but we won't play a team so good and in full flow as the Blues were on Sunday very often.

We now start a run of games between now and Xmas that are very winnable and will decide what direction our season takes in the New Year.

We should be confident that we can make it an exciting second half of the season, this game showed that even with a side that is stretched to the limit injury wise and because of that not as fresh as Puel would hope, that we can compete with the top sides in this division.

This is a set back but it is not a fatal blow, we march on !

Photo: Action Images

halftimeorange added 16:45 - Oct 31 All clubs sell if they can get more than a player is worth and replace him with a cheaper equivalent - see Raheem Sterling/ Sadio Mane for example. Trouble is our replacements for Mane and Pelle are not delivering and most people don't think they can or will.
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SaintNick added 16:47 - Oct 31 Redmond is delivering, a bad game yesterday doesnt mean that he is having a bad season and Austin has a better goal per game ratio than Pelle had last season
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arthurfane added 17:27 - Oct 31 I would have found Martina's inability to win a header (esp. against the relatively short Hazard) very, very funny, if he didn't play for the team I support - he's had a few decent performances this season, but whenever he's actually tested defensively, he is an absolute liability. Cedric is great on the occasion, but I think RB is a position we really need to strengthen in - unless Valery's ready? Yesterday was very frustrating - we just lacked any sort of cutting edge to breach a strong Chelsea defence. Agree that we really missed Shane Long (of old, the one who could finish...) but feel that unless JRod can find fitness once more (only really has one strike left in my book sadly - I really hope he comes good though..) we DESPERATELY need another striker in January, and possibly also another pacey winger. I am very enthusiastic about Saints' chances this, and in future, season, but we do need to be more clinical. It's all very well having a wonderful defence (bar RB) who concede very few, but if we can't score it all goes to waste. Charlie Austin is a lethal finished if he gets in the right areas, but he's not quick so will never make defence-splitting runs like Mane used to. The new striker we require will hopefully give us that different option once more. On to Inter. COYS

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Alehouse added 17:55 - Oct 31 SaintNick you are wrong to criticise the fans for not turning out to the Sunderland game. 20,000 showed up to watch what was effectively our reserve side. That sounds pretty impressive to me. Mind you it won't be easily replicated given what we had to endure on the night.
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the_saint added 18:32 - Oct 31 Not sure why some people are putting Austin down against Chelsea he put himself in some good positions but nobody picked him out several times he had his arm in the air waiting for the pass or cross and we just passed it sideways or backwards. Austin is a quality finisher if given the service
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the_saint added 18:37 - Oct 31 Don't know why people put Austin down he made plenty of good runs but our players just seem to pass it sideways or backwards several times he had his arm up waiting for a pass or cross which didn't come Austin is A quality finisher if given the service
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the_saint added 18:38 - Oct 31 He's so good I said it twice
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SaintBrock added 19:12 - Oct 31 Too good for us, simple as that.
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SaintBrock added 19:17 - Oct 31 saintmark1976 - in a nutshell. Well said! At the moment we are about as good as Watford and Bournemouth who have also been in League 1 in recent years. Surely this was not the height of our ambition, Les?
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SaintBrock added 19:23 - Oct 31 Charlei Austin? Every one loves good old Charlie so he escapes criticism for fans favourite hatchet boys, Yoshi, Classie and now Martina. Yesterday Charlie played a stinker and surely deserved to have been hauled off at HT had we had anybody else to replace him. As he is supposed to be a lethal striker in the box, why was he never in the box to connect with the multitude of great crosses from Bertrand & Martina?

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the_saint added 20:36 - Oct 31 Austin needs a lambert style partner to feed off but Charlie Austin has scored goals wherever he has played he has never in all his career had pace he just knows where the goal is. The only concern for me is keeping him fit
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zonehead added 21:06 - Oct 31 Think Classie is blocking Reeds path they're both the same kind of player Reed is hungrier
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aceofthebase added 21:59 - Oct 31 If we had started with Mane and Pelle I do not think the result would have been any different. The difference would be we would be criticising Mane for lack of involvement and penetration and Pelle for lack of speed. Come on guys we were outplayed by a very good team but we still have a lot to offer. As said before by someone'we have good players but Chelsea had great players'. PS Those that think Cedric can defend better than Martina well..... but we do need a quality right back (non injured)

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IanRC added 17:24 - Nov 1 I agree that this is by no means a disaster but I agree with San Marco that on his day Mane, in particular was a game changer. Just look at the impact that he has had at Liverpool. Sadly they will probably finish above us now.
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