Southampton 1-2

Independent:

Southampton 2 Chelsea 1

Saints loosen Blues' grip on top four
Pochettino's latest scalp leaves Chelsea hanging on to Champions League place by two points

By NICK SZCZEPANIK

Rafael Benitez gambled on his team selection yesterday and the gamble did not pay off. With more than an eye on tomorrow's FA Cup sixth-round replay against Manchester United, the Chelsea interim manager fielded a team well below full strength and may not only have dropped three points at St Mary's but also lost the initiative in the race for Champions League places. Tottenham Hotspur overtook his temporary charges yesterday, while fifth-placed Arsenal closed to within two points, and although Chelsea have a game in hand on Spurs, a fearsomely-crowded fixture list may nullify that advantage – after United visit Stamford Bridge, Chelsea entertain Rubin Kazan in the Europa League on Thursday.
Yesterday Benitez made seven changes to the team that had started Chelsea's previous game, against West Ham United, with only the absences of Gary Cahill (knee) and Juan Mata (illness) enforced, and the result was a sluggish first-half performance. John Terry, making a rare league start, cancelled out Jay Rodriguez' opener, but Rickie Lambert celebrated his 500th league appearance and a two-year contract extension with the winner, and although Chelsea improved after the break, the damage was done and Chelsea had taken only one point from their past four away league matches.
However, Benitez denied that he had sacrificed the league campaign in pursuit of an FA Cup semi-final. "I still have confidence that we can finish in the top four and win one or two trophies,"he said. "We still have a lot of games in the league. I said it a month ago, but it will go right until the end. We cannot change [the fixtures] – just play the games and try and manage the squad."
Benitez must have known that Southampton, these days, are not a team he could afford to take lightly. This marked a hat-trick of wins for Mauricio Pochettino over contenders, the scalp of the Champions League winners added to those of Manchester City and Liverpool. The Argentinian went one better than the draw Nigel Adkins managed at Stamford Bridge in his last game in charge of Southampton – and much better than the 5-1 defeat suffered by Saints in the FA Cup tie between the teams here in January.
"Victories like that confirm we're on the right path," Pochettino said. "It's very important for the confidence of my players, and the people in the club, the technical staff. It's important we can believe we can achieve results as we did today, and can do so in the future."
Southampton tore into the visitors from the first whistle, barely missing the injured Adam Lallana. Chelsea looked ponderous in midfield and Southampton cut through time and again while former Chelsea youth team captain Jack Cork patrolled in front of the defence. Jay Rodriguez set the tone when he flicked the ball over Terry's head and ran at the remaining defenders, spoiling it all with an underhit shot that rolled gently into Cech's arms.
It was just the first of many chances that came Southampton's way. Jason Puncheon, Nathaniel Clyne and Lambert all threatened before Rodriguez finished a move whose pace dizzied the defence, taking Steven Davis's deft return pass and rolling the ball calmly beyond Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech and into the corner of the net.
Southampton relaxed for a second, and Fernando Torres had what would have been an instant equaliser disallowed for a handling offence before Terry escaped Jos Hooiveld to head home unopposed from Marko Marin's corner, but Chelsea were not level for long. Branislav Ivanovic fouled Lambert 25 yards out, and Southampton's top scorer picked himself up to flight the free kick over Torres in the wall and high past the right hand of the diving Cech.
Chelsea improved after the interval and Victor Moses saw a deflected shot finger-tipped over by Kelvin Davis, who replaced Artur Boruc at half-time after the goalkeeper had been taken ill, Moses claimed a penalty as Maya Yoshida barged him over but in vain, and then tried to beat one man too many, and Frank Lampard could not get in a shot from six yards. Benitez threw on Eden Hazard, Ramires and Yossi Benayoun in an attempt to rescue the result, but all he got was boos from the 3,000 travelling fans, and sympathy from Pochettino, who called him "one of the best managers in the world."
Benitez added: "In the first half we didn't have the intensity we were expecting. We improved a lot in the second half, created more chances, but still didn't make the right decisions in the final third. At least we were there and had the chances. Now we have to carry on and concentrate on Monday, then think about Thursday and then Sunderland at home. That is the way. You have to be ready for the next challenge."

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Guardian:

Southampton's Rickie Lambert loosens Chelsea's grip on a top-four spot

Dominic Fifield at St Mary's Stadium

Chelsea's campaign is supposed to have entered a defining period, a frantic phase that stretches to less than three weeks but is crammed with fixtures that will determine just what can be salvaged from a confused mess of a season. And yet, Rafael Benítez's insistence that he is "still confident we can finish in the top four and win one or two trophies" felt ludicrously optimistic. The sequence has begun with a splutter.
The European champions were outplayed for long periods on the south coast before succumbing to Southampton, a team with other priorities but with established form against those used to the thinner air at the top of this division. While the locals revelled in a victory that thrust them into mid-table, albeit still four points from the cut-off, those in the away section bellowed their disgust. The usual cries for José Mourinho went up, all merged with the chorus for Benítez to depart at pace. The interim manager is used to all that by now but, after a recent ceasefire, this was an ugly reminder that it only takes one debatable team selection, a questionable substitution and, certainly, a fitful performance to turn the mood sour.
This was a potentially damaging loss as Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal prospered elsewhere, the gap to fifth place trimmed disconcertingly to two points ahead of the clutter to come. Chelsea could be out of the Champions League qualification places by the next time they trot out in the top flight, against Sunderland next Sunday, though they will have entertained Manchester United and Rubin Kazan by then. Victory here might have provided momentum in that run of daunting games, but all they have to carry into the FA Cup on Monday is a sense of deflation. There had been seven changes to the lineup from just before the international window but, where Benítez hoped for evidence of energy and inspiration, this was all too disjointed. It was even feeble at times.
Some of the cavalry were flung on towards the end, Ramires and Eden Hazard injecting some much needed zest, but they were chasing the contest by then and Southampton were in no mood to wilt. Kelvin Davis, called upon as the teams re-emerged after the interval when Artur Boruc complained of dizziness, tipped Victor Moses's scooped attempt over the bar and Frank Lampard's free-kick veered just over but, even in the latter stages, the hosts still created the more presentable opportunities.
"Rafa's one of the best managers in the world, and he has my respect for what he's done in football," Mauricio Pochettino, the Southampton manager, said. "I have sympathy for Rafa and recognise the job he's done." Few among the travelling support would agree, even if this logjam of games would test all-comers. Chelsea have secured a solitary point from four away games since mid-January.
How they missed Juan Mata here, the Spaniard out with a fever but hopeful of featuring against Manchester United. Gary Cahill may be absent, his knee still recovering from the damage sustained against West Ham earlier this month. John Terry, whose thumping downward header had briefly restored parity just after the half-hour mark, will expect to drop out again but this entire back-line laboured to contain Jay Rodriguez and Rickie Lambert.
The Premier League champions elect will presumably confront a team that starts with Ashley Cole and Hazard down the left, rather than Ryan Bertrand and Marko Marin, but they will not be too perturbed by what awaits in south west London.
Southampton will care little that they dismissed virtually a second XI. The displays mustered by Nathaniel Clyne and Jack Cork – who played 155 league games for six different teams while on loan from Chelsea, but not one for his parent club – summed up their wide-eyed enthusiasm and underlying quality, with the hosts superb throughout. They had prised their opponents apart far too easily when on the front foot, their dominance reflected midway through the first period as Lambert fed the ball in-field from the left flank for Rodriguez to collect. He exchanged passes with Steven Davis, a slick rat-a-tat to flummox static defenders, with the finish crisp and low beyond Petr Cech.
Even once pierced themselves, they recovered almost immediately. Chelsea were still celebrating Terry's riposte when Branislav Ivanovic fouled Lambert 25 yards out, and the forward's 14th goal of a productive first campaign at this level was curled in from distance; a fine way to savour a recently signed two-year contract extension. "He's a player I knew even before I arrived, and we're really proud of his performance," Pochettino said.
This club is starting to feel the same way for their man in charge. Chelsea have followed Manchester City and Liverpool in being dismissed since he took up the reins, and safety feels in sight. They can spend the week focusing on their reunion with Nigel Adkins next Saturday. Benítez, with fixtures flying at him from all angles, does not have that luxury.


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Telegraph:

Southampton 2 Chelsea 1

Simon Hart

The trouble with trying to keep so many plates spinning is the danger that all of them could come crashing down at once. At the start of a crucial eight days for Chelsea, Rafael Benítez’s decision to prioritise Monday’s FA Cup quarter-final replay against Manchester United by resting key players backfired spectacularly as his side becameSouthampton’s third high-profile scalp of the season.
The fate of Manchester City and Liverpool might have told Benítez that you underestimate Southampton at your peril at St Mary’s, and he could have few complaints after his side lost to a team whose enterprise and unstinting work ethic belied their lowly league position.
Having now pulled off back-to-back victories against more exalted opposition, Southampton have taken a giant step towards Premier League safety and could soon be in the happy position of having nothing to play for.
Not so Chelsea, who, after their Cup showdown, have a Europa League tie against Rubin Kazan to contend with on Thursday before they return to Premier League action against Sunderland next Sunday. It is a sequence of matches that could well define their season.
Should they prevail over United, Benítez may well consider that his changes were justified as five players from the side who beat West Ham a fortnight ago were dropped to the substitutes’ bench.
The absence of Gary Cahill and Juan Mata, who was suffering from a virus, was enforced.
But the defeat means Chelsea now drop to third place behind Tottenham, and with Arsenal breathing down their necks just two points behind, the battle for the fourth Champions League spot looks as if it will go to the wire. Certainly, Chelsea cannot afford many more slip-ups.
Playing with a confidence born out of their 3-1 victory over Liverpool in the last round of Premier League fixtures, Southampton were much the brighter and more creative, led by the talismanic Ricky Lambert, who gave a tireless performance from start to finish.
The pattern of the match was set from the early exchanges, and Lambert should really have put his side in front in the ninth minute when he humiliated John Terry, who was starting his first Premier League match since last month, with a sublime piece of skill that left him with acres of space in front of Petr Cech’s goal.
The moment was spoiled, however, by Lambert’s tame shot straight at the Chelsea goalkeeper when a pass to the unmarked Jason Puncheon might have been more fruitful.
Puncheon went close himself when he wriggled through a crowded penalty area, though Cech was alert to danger and did well to block his shot.
With Southampton’s slick passing causing Chelsea all sorts of problems at the back, the home side got their reward in the 23rd minute after an exquisite move that was started by Lambert before Jay Rodriguez exchanged a neat one-two with Steve Davis on the edge of the box to prise open the Chelsea defence and then shoot powerfully past Cech.
Two minutes later Fernando Torres had the ball in the net after outpacing Jos Hooiveld, though referee Jon Moss correctly spotted that the Spanish forward had used an arm to knock the ball past the Southampton defender.
But there was no doubt about Chelsea’s 33rd-minute equaliser – a point-blank header from Terry after he rose unchallenged to meet Marko Marin’s corner.
The goal was more than Chelsea deserved, and a stunned St Mary’s crowd must have been wondering whether one defensive lapse would undo all the good work of the first half-hour, though it took less than two minutes for justice to be restored.
Lambert, who was a persistent handful for the Chelsea back line, was pushed illegally by Branislav Ivanovic and, from the resulting free-kick, the Southampton forward scored his 14th goal of the season when he curled the ball beyond Cech from 30 yards.
Chelsea did offer more of a threat after the break, with Victor Moses going close with a looping shot that Artur Boruc did well to tip over the bar, though Southampton’s defence was only occasionally inconvenienced. Indeed, the home side could even have stretched their lead when, with a three on two, James Ward-Prowse opted to cross the ball when a bit of selfishness would have been better advised.
The substitution of Yossi Benayoun for Oscar in the 76th minute was the prelude to some vile anti-Benítez abuse by the travelling Chelsea fans about which the Spaniard chose not to comment after the match.
It is fair to say it was not the Chelsea interim manager’s finest hour.

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Times:

Southampton 2 Chelsea 1: Saints leave Benitez red-faced
Nick Townsend

JOSE MOURINHO’S pointed declaration last week that “I have to be back in English football” would have been received with a frisson of anticipation from the Chelsea faithful, who expect to see the Portuguese back home come the summer.
 But many more days like these and he could be revising any such plans. Even if he and owner Roman Abramovich can complete their rapprochement, would Mourinho be inclined to take charge of a team annexed from next season’s Champions League?
 The evidence is not persuasive that Chelsea will make it, with defeat having left the Blues in fourth and Arsenal a potent threat to that position, despite interim manager Rafa Benitez’s confidence. He said last night: “I have confidence we can finish in the top four and we can win one or two trophies.”

This display typified Chelsea under Benitez: so utterly unpredictable from one game to the next; from one half to the next. The only certainty was that the away fans would assail his ears with vitriol. Their protests began early on a day the Spaniard’s team selection suggested tomorrow’s FA Cup quarter-final replay against Manchester United was his priority.
 Victory would have seen Chelsea still hunting down second-placed Manchester City. Instead they were defeated by a Saints side who are making a habit of slaying the big beasts at home. Confidence is surging through them and survival is virtually assured after an opener from Jay Rodriguez and Rickie Lambert’s 14th league goal this season, which proved to be the winner, separated by John Terry’s reply.
 “Lambert for England”, the Saints fans chorused. While that appears an unlikely scenario, his displays continue to prove good value for a £1m outlay. “I’m really proud of his performance on the pitch — but also off the pitch he’s a really great person,” said his manager, Mauricio Pochettino.
 Comparisons with his £50m counterpart Fernando Torres, whose league goal tally this season is half that of Lambert, are inevitable. Here, the masked Spaniard — still recovering from a broken nose against Steaua Bucharest — had the ball in the net but was adjudged to have handled. He contributed some clever approach work but rarely looked likely to score.
 Having put Manchester City and Liverpool to the sword here under Pochettino’s management, the Saints had nothing to fear from a weakened Chelsea side, with Lambert and Rodriguez a constant menace and Steven Davis an energetic presence behind them, reinforced by a resourceful rearguard.

Eden Hazard and Ramires came on as second-half substitutes, while Ashley Cole and David Luiz, who were on the bench and stayed there, are likely to start against United at Stamford Bridge tomorrow at 12.30pm, less than 44 hours after the final whistle here during a spell of five games in 13 days for the Londoners. Juan Mata, out with a virus, and Gary Cahill were absent from yesterday’s squad altogether. The former “could be ready” for the FA Cup match but the latter is unlikely to feature. Stressing that “every competition is important for us”, Benitez tried to explain his strategy. “It is impossible to be physiologically 100% ready for both games, so you have to manage the squad, try to find the balance,” he said.
 Chelsea beat Saints 5-1 here in the FA Cup third round but there was never any likelihood of a repeat. Sensing the vulnerability of the weakened visitors, Southampton attacked with venom. Midway through the first half they seized a deserved lead with a delightful incisive move. Lambert started it on the right and found Rodriguez, whose one-two with Davis allowed the striker to drive the ball beyond Petr Cech.
 Benitez’s men barely had a look-in in the first half hour but, after Victor Moses’ deflected attempt won a corner, Terry headed powerfully down and beyond goalkeeper Artur Boruc from Marko Marin’s delivery. Almost immediately, Saints restored their lead. John Obi Mikel fouled Davis and Lambert launched a brute of a 25-yard free-kick which swerved beyond Cech. It was an immediate payback from Lambert after signing a two-year contract extension since the Saints last played.

At half-time, Kelvin Davis replaced a dizzy Boruc and the substitute keeper did well to palm over another Moses effort when Chelsea pressed unconvincingly.
 Southampton are looking up. “Victories like this confirm the fact that we are on the right path,” said Pochettino. Another win could all but secure their top-flight status. Possibly on Saturday at Reading, against the manager they sacked, Nigel Adkins.

Star man: Rickie Lambert (Southampton)

Southampton: Boruc 6 (Davis h-t, 7), Clyne 6, Yoshida 7, Hooiveld 7, Shaw 6, Schneiderlin 7, Cork 6, Puncheon 6 (Ward-Prowse 62min), Davis 7 (Fox 85min), Rodriguez 7, Lambert 8

Chelsea: Cech 6, Azpilicueta 6, Ivanovic 7, Terry 6, Bertrand, Mikel 6 (Ramires 72min), Lampard 7, Moses 5, Oscar 6 (Benayoun 76min), Marin 5 (Hazard 61min), Torres 5

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Mail:

Southampton 2 Chelsea 1: Blues' top-four hopes dealt major blow as Saints stun Benitez's boys on south coast

By MALCOLM FOLLEY

Even though Rafa Benitez gambled on a grand scale - and lost - by picking a strangely unfamiliar team, Southampton were masters of their own destiny at St Mary's.
Victory over Chelsea, following home wins against Manchester City and Liverpool since February, propelled the Saints closer to preserving their Premier League status.
There is a prevailing mood of optimism on the south coast for the scrap ahead, beginning next Saturday away to a Reading side managed by their old boss Nigel Adkins.
Chelsea face a mammoth fight to qualify for the Champions League.
But Benitez made his intentions clear, with his selection, that the FA Cup quarter-final replay against Manchester United tomorrow took precedence over this game.
He did not so much rotate his squad as spin it with the ferocity of a circus ride.
On the bench, he deposited the extravagant talents of Eden Hazard, David Luiz, Ashley Cole, Ramires and Demba Ba.
In addition, Juan Mata and Gary Cahill were declared unfit to be considered.
It is a safe bet to assume all will play against United on Monday, when Chelsea face Sir Alex Ferguson's team at Stamford Bridge for the right to meet Manchester City in a Wembley semi-final on April 14.
'We still have one game in hand, and we have to carry on and concentrate, move on and start thinking about Monday,' said Benitez.
'We had to manage the squad. We didn't have many options in some positions so we had the players we had to use.
He added: 'You have to approach every game like it is the most important, and we thought with these players we would be fine.'
In a chaotically crowded calendar, Benitez also has to contend with home fixtures against Rubin Kazan in a Europa League quarter-final first leg on Thursday and Sunderland a week today.
His target, in his final couple of months managing the club, is to deliver silverware into the arms of Roman Abramovich as well as assuring Chelsea a place in the Champions League next season.
How easy it is to forget that Chelsea are the reigning champions of Europe. Unsurprisingly, they played like strangers; and how effectively Southampton capitalised.
Feeding on the confidence established from beating Liverpool 3-1 in their last game, manager Mauricio Pochettino must have been delighted with the industry and sharp interchanges between Steven Davis, Jack Cork and Jason Puncheon.
Pochettino, who has now won three, drawn three and lost three games since replacing Adkins in January, said: 'Victories like today prove we are on the right path.
'It is very important for the confidence of my players and especially the people surrounding our club - the technical staff.'
Indeed, Puncheon made dramatic, unchecked progress deep into Chelsea territory in the 12th minute, only to be thwarted by the alert goalkeeping of Petr Cech.
Moments later, Nathaniel Clyne breached Chelsea's left with embarrassing ease but his short-range cross was deflected by Branislav Ivanovic.
Chelsea's central defender then raced out to block Rickie Lambert's shot. Deservedly, Southampton's supremacy was rewarded in the 23rd minute.
Jay Rodriguez received an exquisite return pass from Davis on the edge of the area and beat Cech with a piece of composed finishing.
Yet Southampton underlined one of football's oldest maxims: a team are at their most vulnerable when they have just scored.
When central defender Maya Yoshida played an air shot in the last third of the pitch, Fernando Torres thought he had equalised but was correctly judged to have nudged the ball with his arm.
But in the 33rd minute John Terry provided Chelsea with a goal that stood.
From a corner by Marko Marin, Terry created space for himself and scored with a header. Southampton responded admirably.
After Davis was fouled 25 yards from Cech's goal, Lambert placed the ball and took aim. With great precision, he curled it over Torres, on the right of the wall, to celebrate signing a new contract with a sweet free-kick.
At half-time, Kelvin Davis replaced Artur Boruc in Southampton's goal and he athletically touched Victor Moses's deflected shot over his bar. Benitez then sent for the cavalry, in the shape of Hazard, Ramires and Yossi Benayoun, but to no avail.

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Mirror:

Southampton 2-1 Chelsea: Seven-change Blues down to fourth as Lambert plays up to new deal
Rafa Benitez remains defiant despite this wretched setback.

Peter White

Chelsea’s interim manager again found himself abused by angry fans as his side ­became the latest high-fliers to stumble at St Mary’s.
With the FA Cup replay against Manchester United tomorrow, Benitez left the ­Chelsea faithful frustrated by making seven changes from the last Premier League game. Five of his big-name stars were on the subs’ bench.
The gamble went horribly wrong. Chants of, ‘F*** off ­Benitez, you’re not wanted here’, rang out from the 3,181 travelling fans as this defeat put Chelsea’s hopes of a top- four finish in jeopardy.
But Benitez remains upbeat, insisting: “I have confidence we can finish in the top four and win one or two trophies.
“In the first half we didn’t have the intensity we were expecting, but we improved a lot in the second half, created more chances, but still didn’t make the right decisions in the final third.”
When quizzed on his mass changes, Benitez claimed: “We had to manage the squad. We didn’t have many options, so we had to use the players we had to use. And we created enough chances in the second half to win the game.”
Although two changes were enforced from the team that beat West Ham, with Juan Mata ill and Gary Cahill ­injured, Benitez opted to put Ashley Cole, David Luiz,­ ­Ramires, Eden Hazard and Demba Ba on a very expensive subs’ bench.
He must soon have sensed he’d made a major error as the Saints dominated the opening 45 minutes.
Benitez looked bemused in his technical area, even more so when Saints ­deservedly took the lead on 23 minutes. Rickie Lambert fed Jay Rodriguez, who took a neat return ball from Steven Davis and cleverly passed the ball out of Petr Cech’s reach.
Just three minutes later Fernando Torres thought he had produced the perfect ­response when he held off Jos Hooiveld’s challenge to beat keeper Artur Boruc, but ­eagle-eyed referee Jon Moss spotted the striker had ­handled in the build-up.
Saints’ defending was poor when they left John Terry unmarked to head home the equaliser from Marko Marin’s corner in the 33rd minute.
But within two minutes Lambert again displayed his amazing goalscoring prowess from set pieces. When he was pushed by Branislav Ivanovic 30 yards out, he took responsibility for the free-kick.
He did so magnificently and without missing a trick. He saw Torres in the wall wearing a mask to protect his ­broken nose. So he aimed his effort straight at the ­Spaniard, who made no attempt to ­deflect the shot. By the time Cech dived, the ball was in the net for Lambert’s 14th of the season.
Boruc was forced to give way to Kelvin Davis at the break and he soon showed he had lost none of his agility sat on the bench. Torres’ quickly- taken free-kick was crossed by Cesar Azpilicueta for Moses to scoop in a shot that the veteran ­keeper did well to touch over.
Chelsea showed more ­purpose after the break but when Moses tumbled over in the area under an innocuous challenge, it proved they were getting desperate.
Lampard finally had the chance to add to his goal tally a minute from time, but he flashed his 25-yard free-kick over the bar.
Saints manager Mauricio Pochettino said: “We are on the right path. It is important for the confidence of the ­players to believe we can achieve results like this.”


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Sun:

THE latest blunder in the bungling reign of Rafa Benitez has thrown Chelsea’s Champions League hopes into disarray.

Rob Beasley

And given relegation-threatened Saints renewed hope of survival.
For Benitez astonishingly decided to put out a second-string side for this vital Premier League match.
And he paid the price as the Londoners crashed to a dismal and deserved defeat against a spirited Southampton outfit.
With Manchester City, Tottenham and Arsenal all winning, it was a terribly bad day for the Blues.
Spurs leapfrog them to move up into third, with fifth-placed Arsenal now hot on their tails, just two points behind.
Furious Chelsea fans again turned on their reviled interim manager with a barrage of abuse, angry that he had decided tomorrow’s FA Cup clash with Manchester United was more important than this trip to the South Coast.
Few of them put the FA Cup ahead of a Champions League spot — and I am sure owner Roman Abramovich would agree.
So this was a calamitous setback and it looked on the cards right from the start.
Chelsea kicked off as if they were finishing a punishing run of four games in eight days, not beginning it.
Lethargic, lacklustre and laboured.
The much-changed side clearly did not help their cause.
Ashley Cole, David Luiz, Eden Hazard, Ramires and Demba Ba were on the bench.
Star turn Juan Mata was also missing, left behind in London nursing a fever, while injured England centre-back Gary Cahill was again out.
So Marko Marin, Ryan Bertrand and Victor Moses made rare starts, while skipper John Terry partnered Branislav Ivanovic in the heart of defence.
Southampton must have been lifted as soon as they saw the visitors’ teamsheet.
They certainly wasted no time at all in putting the Londoners’ unfamiliar line-up under pressure. Saints could have been in front as early as the 10th minute when the lively Jay Rodriguez charged through the middle.
But he foolishly ignored the unmarked Jason Puncheon to his left and selfishly went for goal.
His terribly tame effort made his error of judgement all the more pronounced.
Not that the home side faltered. Ivanovic was forced to make back-to-back blocks to keep out shots from Nathaniel Clyne and then Rickie Lambert.
Chelsea’s poor start prompted the first “We don’t care about Rafa” chorus, quickly followed by an even louder call for Jose Mourinho.
And their supporters’ sense of despair soon deepened yet further after 23 minutes as the Blues went a goal behind just as news was drifting in that top-four rivals Tottenham had gone 2-0 up at Swansea.
It began with Lambert out wide and with time and room to pick out Rodriguez on the edge of the Chelsea area.
A quick one-two with Steven Davis saw Rodriguez in the clear and this time he did not mess it up, coolly slotting a low shot across Petr Cech and into the bottom corner — a fine finish for a deserved lead.
But having done the hard part, Southampton then suffered an alarming dip in concentration.
And they really rode their luck as Chelsea attempted to respond.
Fernando Torres, wearing a mask to protect his broken nose, almost stole an equaliser — forcing his way clear only to see his ‘goal’ ruled out for a foul.
Then Moses cut in from the right to fire in a dangerous effort that landed on the roof of the net.
But Chelsea would not be denied and pulled level in the 33rd minute.
A Marin corner picked out the unmarked Terry in the middle and he buried a trademark header for 1-1.
Incredibly, Chelsea tossed it away moments later. Lambert was always going to try his luck with a 30-yard free-kick just to the left of centre.
As it was, there was no luck about it as he brilliantly looped the ball over the Chelsea wall and beyond keeper Cech’s despairing dive.
Southampton continued to enjoy the upper hand after the break, even though crocked keeper Artur Boruc had to be replaced at half-time.
Although, on the hour, Torres slid in a clever free-kick for Cesar Azpilicueta to open up Saints.
The full-back cut the ball back to Moses, whose deflected shot looped up and looked to be dropping in until sub keeper Kelvin Davis arched backwards to touch it on to the bar and over.
Hazard replaced Marin just after the hour.
But Saints could have added a third within an instant as a Rodriguez shot across the keeper was pushed away two-handed by Cech.
At the other end, Moses went down in the box appealing in vain for a penalty, although replays showed he had a case.
It was turning into one of those afternoons for the Blues.
And when Benitez swapped Jon Obi Mikel and Oscar for Ramires and Yossi Benayoun, the fans voiced their disgust.
First it was “You don’t know what you’re doing”. Then “Rafa Benitez — you’re not wanted here”, followed by a barrage of boos when the hated interim boss emerged from the bench.
Finally there was another plaintive refrain of “Jose Mourinho”.
Chelsea’s misery was complete when the normally reliable Hazard lashed a wild shot across the face of goal as the Blues’ growing anxiety began to shine through.
When an 88th-minute free-kick from Frank Lampard sailed harmlessly over the top, the game was up.

Southampton: Boruc (Kelvin Davis 46), Clyne, Yoshida, Hooiveld, Shaw, Puncheon (Ward-Prowse 62), Schneiderlin, Cork, Steven Davis (Fox 85), Rodriguez, Lambert. Subs not used: Fonte, Ramirez, Forren, Do Prado. Booked:Lambert,Schneiderlin.
Goals: Rodriguez 23, Lambert 35.

Chelsea: Cech, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Terry, Bertrand, Mikel (Ramires 71), Lampard, Moses, Oscar (Benayoun 76), Marin (Hazard 60), Torres. Subs not used: Turnbull, Cole, Luiz, Ba.Booked: Torres.
Goals: Terry 33.

Att: 31,779
Ref: Jon Moss (W Yorkshire)

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Star/Express :

SOUTHAMPTON 2 - CHELSEA 1: RICKIE LAMBERT ONE IN A MILLION
Colin Mafham

IF Roman Abramovich lost a lot of sleep last night it would have been nothing to do with the clocks going forward an hour.
Chelsea’s Russian owner must have had nightmares about how he managed to fork out £50million for Fernando Torres when he could have had Rickie Lambert for just £1m.
Add to that another three precious points lost, a vocal campaign from Chelsea fans calling for the return of Jose Mourinho and he could be excused for giving tomorrow’s crucial FA Cup tie against Manchester United a miss.
But as he and Chelsea licked their self-inflicted wounds it was Lambert’s man-of-the-match show that will have riled the Russian the most.
For most of the time yesterday Southampton’s bargain buy looked much more like the big money striker than the sorry Spaniard did.
And in so doing, he massively boosted Southampton’s hopes of playing Premier League football next season.
No wonder they were so happy to give him a new contract up to 2016 last week.
And no wonder their ecstatic fans chanted ‘we are staying up’.
Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino could have been excused if he’d been even more lost for words – English ones, that is – when he saw the Chelsea teamsheet.
How he would surely have liked to have had David Luiz, Ramires, Eden Hazard and Demba Ba on his side.
Rafa Benitez left them all on the bench – and earned more abuse from his Chelsea baiters in the process.
Hardly surprising really, after he bizarrely chose to play Torres up front on his own, with a broken nose and a face mask to protect it.
And he wasn’t the only one who needed protecting, judging by the way Jay Rodriguez cut through them early on as Chelsea, for all their apparent talent, spent a lot of time in their own half.
Southampton gave them a real run-around – and made them pay for that teamsheet over-confidence with the 23rd-minute opener.
The sadly out-of-sorts Torres, with or without his mask, would have been delighted with the way Rodriguez clinically finished off a cracking three-man move started by Lambert and helped on by Steven Davis.
The same could be said about John Terry’s equaliser ten minutes later.
Chelsea skipper Terry should never have been allowed the space to meet Marko Marin’s corner but he made it count with a trademark header past Artur Boruc.
Credit to Saints, they were back in front in little more than a minute – and once again, it was a beauty.
This time Lambert stepped up to the plate with a 25-yard free-kick that swerved more than a bit on its way past the Chelsea wall and keeper Petr Cech.
Chants of ‘Lambert for England’ may be a tad over the top but his 14th league goal of the season – twice as many as Torres – suggest there aren’t all that many in the country who are a lot better at the moment.
The speed with which Chelsea came out for the second half – a while before Saints appeared – suggested Benitez had said a few choice words during the break.
For a while it worked, as Chelsea stepped up a significant couple of gears.
And if it hadn’t been for the heroics of substitute keeper Kelvin Davis, they would have been at least level within a quarter of an hour.
But Lambert’s men are nothing if not battlers and they did more than enough to win three precious survival points.
Tomorrow’s game now assumes even greater importance for Chelsea.
Benitez said: “The first half was just not good enough but the second half was a lot better and we had enough chances to get something out of the game.
“I have every confidence in my players and believe we will finish in the top four and win one or two trophies.”
Pochettino hailed his players for taking another giant step towards Premier League survival.
He said: “Victories like this show we are on the right path. It was important for the confidence of my players.
“I knew about Lambert before I came and I was very pleased with him today.”


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