SOUTHAMPTON  V  CHELSEA

DATE

Sunday 26th December 1999

12pm

KICK OFF

AT

The Dell

FA Carling Premiership

FIXTURE

ATTENDENCE

SCORE

MAN OF THE MATCH

15,232

2-1

Tore Andre Flo

SCORERS

CHELSEA

Flo 18,43 mins

SOUTHAMPTON

Davies 80 mins

REFEREE

P.Alcock

REFS PERFORMANCE

7/10

TEAMS

CHELSEA

Ed De Goey, Albert Ferrer, Emerson Thome, Frank Leboeuf, Celestine Babayaro, Dan Petrescu, Didier Deschamps, Roberto Di Matteo, Gabriele Ambrosetti, Gustavo Poyet, Tore Andre Flo

SUBSTITUTES

Morris (Petrescu) Harley (Ambrosetti) Cudicini, Nicholls, Terry

BOOKED

Leboeuf, Ferrer, Deschamps, Babayaro

SOUTHAMPTON

Jones, Dodd, Lundekvam, Richards, Benali, Le Tissier, Solvedt, Oakley, Kachloul, Pahars, Beattie

Boa Morte (Kachloul) Davies (Beattie) Moss, Hughes

SUBSTITUTES

BOOKED

Oakley, Le Tissier

MATCH REPORT

Phew a close shave at the end, but why on earth did we sit back on our lead?

Chelsea were forced to ring the changes in this match for what was a thrilling Boxing Day encounter.

Wise, Zola, Sutton all out with Flu and Desailly and Hogh both injured,Vialli chose to play Flo upfront alone, I wondered if the gamble would pay off, I should not of worried.

Flo was in inspirational form taking both his goals with class finshing  albeit one debateable for offside and could have had a hatrick if his powerfull shot had not hit the upright.

Ambrosetti also had a comfortable game out on the right handside of midfield and got some good crosses in.

With better finishing particulary from Gus who squandered a couple of easy chances, we could of won the game far more comfortable than we did.

If Chelsea were in "Cruise Control" in the first- half, why did we play so deep in the 2nd half, inviting Southampton to get at us.

Davies seized on the extra room and left us biting our nails for the last 10 minutes, when we should of won the game by the 1st half.

Interestingly Chelsea fielded 11 foreigners for the 1st time at the start of this match, something i'm sure the media will make a comment on

3 much needed points and I was very Impressed with Emerson Thome

"Much better Luca"

Viva Vialli