Huh~~
The ball landed perfectly on Lukaku's head.
This was Chelsea's best chance to score.
When tens of thousands of fans in the stands at St. Mary's Stadium saw this moment, their expressions instantly froze.
All the Southampton fans knew it well—
If Chelsea scored now, the consequences would be disastrous.
The score would become 2–1.
At that point, it would be extremely difficult for Southampton, even at home, to equalize in the remaining time.
After all,
Chelsea's defense was quite solid.
It would be nearly impossible to break through them!
So—
As Lukaku prepared to head the ball into the goal, the entire stadium held its breath in nervous tension.
At the crucial moment,
Southampton's two central defenders, Jan Bednarek and Maya Yoshida, made last-ditch defensive moves.
And finally...
The ball was cleared by the defenders.
Maya Yoshida displayed outstanding form.
He was first to react and managed to head the ball out to the top of the penalty area.
But unfortunately...
The ball fell to none other than Cesc Fàbregas.
And everyone knew—
Fàbregas was still a master of long-range shooting.
At that moment,
There were no defenders near him to apply pressure. Without hesitation, Fàbregas unleashed a stunning long-range strike.
A ground-breaking shot.
The ball shot forward like a cannonball, spinning fiercely toward the goal.
And finally—
Cesc Fàbregas scored!
The score was now 2–1.
After a hard-fought battle, Chelsea—playing away from home—had once again taken the lead.
The match continued.
Undeniably,
Chelsea's offense was proving nearly unstoppable.
However, as Southampton players, they would never give up. They were determined to fight back with everything they had!
Their goal was clear—
To equalize the score.
Encouraged by the cheers of the home crowd,
Southampton launched another wave of attacks right after the restart.
This time,
The ball reached Tadić's feet.
But just as he was about to act, Su Luo suddenly appeared in front of him.
Su Luo didn't waste any time with words. In a flash, like three strikes in five moves, he cleanly stole the ball from Tadić.
It was the perfect chance for Chelsea to counterattack.
After winning the ball,
Su Luo didn't hesitate. He quickly passed it to Fàbregas.
In midfield, Fàbregas delivered a precise through ball that found Lukaku almost perfectly.
Just a few quick passes,
And the ball was at Lukaku's feet!
Faced with a golden scoring opportunity,
Lukaku didn't hesitate for even a second. He unleashed a powerful volley—and the ball hit the back of the net once more!
Despite goalkeeper Alex McCarthy's quick reflexes, Lukaku's shot was fired from too close a range.
There was no time to react.
The score was now 3–1.
As Chelsea turned up the heat in the away game, the pressure immediately mounted on Southampton.
On the sidelines,
Head coach Mark Hughes stood helpless, full of frustration and disappointment.
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