Chelsea welcomed Southampton to Stamford Bridge for the Round of 16 of the EFL Carabao Cup. Just like the last round’s result, the Blues beat Saints on penalties (4-3) after the game ended at 1-1 in normal time. Thomas Tuchel made six changes from the 7-0 win over Norwich on Saturday. Kai Havertz put Chelsea ahead just before the halftime whistle, heading past Fraser Forster.
In the second half after just a few minutes, Che Adams equalized for Saints from close range to send the game to penalties. Both Mason Mount and Theo Walcott missed penalties early in the shootout, but Will Smallbone’s horrible penalty proved to be the difference. Reece James stepped up to score the decisive penalty to send Chelsea to the next round of the Carabao Cup.
Here is how each individual fared in the Blues’ clash with Southampton:
Kepa Arrizabalaga (Goalkeeper): 7.5/10
The Spaniard could have done better with Saints’ goal, but he came in clutch when needed in the second half of the game with Southampton on the front foot. Kepa Arrizabalaga saved seven shots, a lot of which came toward the end of normal time when the score was 1-1. Arrizabalaga then saved one of Saints’ penalties to help the club qualify for the next round.
Reece James (Right centerback): 7/10
Reece James had a very mixed game on Tuesday. In the first half, the England international was solid enough to break down and intercept Southampton’s play in the final third. Nevertheless, in the second half, James was caught out of position many times, which put the other defenders in a lot of danger. Although in the end, it was James’ penalty that won Chelsea the game and helped the team qualify for the next round.
Trevoh Chalobah (Centerback): 8/10
The new gem at Chelsea, Trevoh Chalobah, put in another top-class performance for Tuchel, further winning his trust of playing in crucial times. Chalobah put in one of his best performances in a Blues shirt, being the vital defender at the center of three, constantly eliminating Southampton’s aerial threat. The young English defender—apart from having one shot on target and creating one key pass—won eight aerial duels. He surely deserves a new long-term contract.
Malang Sarr (Left centerback): 6.5/10
Malang Sarr had a decent outing on Tuesday, although he was responsible for Adams’ goal as his clearance went straight to a Southampton player. Other than that, Sarr played well by winning aerial duels and keeping the game ticking. Another important 90 minutes under Sarr’s belt will help him adapt quickly to the league as seeing the contractual situation at the club, Sarr might very well have a role to play at the club soon.