To be honest, when the score reached 3–1, Southampton had basically lost all hope of victory.
Even though this was St. Mary's Stadium—Southampton's home ground—
Chelsea's offensive momentum was simply too overwhelming.
Judging by Southampton's current state, they were being completely outplayed.
On the bench,
Southampton's manager, Mark Hughes, wore a look of helplessness and frustration. It was a classic case of "playing with a 4-5-0"—completely ineffective.
This was definitely not the situation Hughes wanted to see.
In the final minutes of the first half, Southampton's players did try their best—
But unfortunately,
Chelsea's attack was too relentless.
They gave Southampton's defense no breathing room whatsoever.
At half-time,
Mark Hughes adjusted the team's tactics, especially their defensive approach.
He shouted passionately at his players:
"How many times have I told you?! You must restrict Su Luo's dribbling! Once the second half starts, do not give Su Luo any space!!
We have to block their shots at all costs!"
As head coach, Hughes was furious.
In his mind,
Time was quickly running out.
If they wanted to have any chance of winning, they had to shut Su Luo down in the second half. That was the only way Southampton could regain control.
Soon enough—five minutes into the second half—
The game resumed with teams switching sides.
Southampton kicked off.
Midfielder Cédric Soares received the ball and didn't waste time engaging Chelsea's defense.
He made a quick decision,
And launched a powerful long ball toward the front line.
To be precise, he picked out Shane Long up front.
The striker collected the pass and went all in.
He dribbled aggressively toward the Chelsea goal, launching a fierce counterattack.
Near the edge of the penalty area, Shane Long controlled the ball with his right foot, took a quick step, and unleashed a shot without hesitation!
To be fair,
Shane Long's individual skills were impressive.
His strike was a powerful volley, and the ball curved dangerously toward the goal.
Unfortunately—
At the crucial moment, Chelsea's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois showed his brilliance.
In the blink of an eye,
Courtois reacted swiftly and saved the shot with his right hand,
Preserving Chelsea's lead.
The match continued.
Southampton was running out of time.
In the stands at St. Mary's Stadium, tens of thousands of fans erupted again—chanting and cheering wildly for their team.
In an instant,
The second wave of attack had begun.
Among the current Southampton squad, the only player who could truly threaten Chelsea's goal was, without a doubt, Dušan Tadić.
Undeniably,
When the ball reached Tadić's feet, it triggered the loudest and most passionate cheers from the home crowd.
On the left wing,
Tadić received the ball and took control.
Charging down the flank, he made several successive breakthroughs.
At that moment,
Chelsea's defense was already in position.
Among those defending were Cesc Fàbregas and Davide Zappacosta.
The two Chelsea players, seeing Tadić coming down the wing, didn't dare take any chances. They immediately moved in to intercept him.
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