Timo Werner and Ben Chilwell’s late strikes despatched Chelsea prime of the Premier League because the Blues dispatched 10-man Southampton 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.
ames Ward-Prowse scored a penalty solely to be despatched off for a late, lunging sort out on Jorginho, opening the door for Werner and Chilwell to ship the Blues again to successful methods.
Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Everton teed up the possibility for Chelsea to climb to the league’s summit, and after a testing and at occasions tetchy afternoon, Thomas Tuchel’s males obliged.
Trevoh Chalobah’s header had the house aspect within the field seat, till Chilwell upended former Chelsea academy star Tino Livramento within the field.
Ward-Prowse transformed the spot-kick to threaten Chelsea’s ambitions of shifting prime of the pile.
Chelsea noticed first-half finishes dominated out for each Romelu Lukaku and Werner, however simply when the west Londoners feared paying the worth, two late objectives turned the tide.
Werner turned in Cesar Azpilicueta’s sensible cross to spark celebrations of reduction as Chelsea moved 2-1 forward, earlier than Chilwell atoned for conceding the penalty by lashing within the third.
Lukaku’s dlsallowed effort got here when he slotted house neatly after Toni Rudiger’s advantageous through-ball, solely to be pulled again for offside.
Werner’s chalked-off end was when he nodded in from Callum Hudson-Odoi’s inch-perfect cross.
Referee Martin Atkinson dominated out the objective after viewing the pitchside screens and judging Azpilicueta to have fouled Kyle Walker-Peters within the build-up.
Thomas Tuchel was then booked for his extreme touchline protests, and the Chelsea boss even ended up nose-to-nose with Atkinson as tempers threatened to boil over.
Werner ought to have fired Chelsea forward mere minutes into the conflict, solely to ship a shot missing completely in conviction that proved straightforward sufficient for Alex McCarthy to save lots of.
The Blues shortly shook off that profligacy nevertheless, as Chalobah nodded into the empty web on the far publish following Chilwell’s nook.
Chalobah’s objective owed every thing to Loftus-Cheek’s flick on, with the one-time England midfielder rising highest in the course of the field to tee up the centre-back.
Chilwell ought to have discovered the online when performed via by Mateo Kovacic, solely to ship a end missing in any actual energy.
Theo Walcott headed vast in a uncommon Southampton foray, however Chelsea maintained management with treasured little situation.
Lukaku thought he had doubled the house lead when slotting house, just for the offside flag to thwart the Belgium hitman.
Rudiger’s mazy run and thru ball lit up Stamford Bridge and nearly deserved Lukaku’s end to face.
Werner was the subsequent to see a neat end chalked off, with the Germany ahead heading in from Hudson-Odoi’s pinpoint cross.
The Blues celebrated the objective and anticipated to maneuver 2-0 forward, just for VAR to clean the trouble for a foul by Azpilicueta on Walker-Peters within the build-up.
Tuchel’s over-exuberant remonstrations led to a reserving, and that pointless square-up to referee Atkinson.
Chelsea’s near-total dominance was left with out simply reward at half-time then, with the Blues nonetheless solely main by the solitary Chalobah effort.
The hosts’ management wavered barely after the interval, and in the end the Blues paid for losing all that dominance.
Chilwell upended Livramento within the field and Ward-Prowse buried the rightful penalty, to degree the competition.
Ward-Prowse was then despatched off after a VAR evaluate for a horror sort out on Jorginho, with the Italy midfielder lucky to keep away from damage at full stretch.
Simply when Chelsea feared working out of time and alternatives nevertheless, up popped Werner with a side-footed winner.
Barkley’s raking move was cleverly redirected into the field by Azpilicueta with a advantageous first-time ball, and Werner did the remainder with a tap-in.
Chilwell then drilled a 3rd on the finish, as Chelsea turned a nervy afternoon into an vital win.