It is not always just the result that is most crushing and ominous, but the manner and circumstances behind it. This was Mark Hughes’ first home match as Southampton manager and, for 69 minutes, his team were seemingly cruising at 2-0 ahead after delivering perhaps their best performance of the season.
Eight minutes later and a Chelsea team utterly inspired by the introduction of Olivier Giroud were 3-2 ahead and on their way to victory.
Giroud had scored twice in rescuing what was another otherwise insipid Chelsea performance and it was hard to leave St Mary’s fearing anything but the very worst for Southampton.
They have won only once in the Premier League since November and the impact of that record on their fragile confidence was horribly evident just as soon as Giroud made it 2-1.
It all leaves Southampton cut adrift in 18th place and, for all their understandable sense of injustice over a first-half Marcos Alonso challenge that should have resulted in a straight red card, it is hard to see where sufficient points will come.
The substitute Olivier Giroud inspired a crazy comeback from Chelsea, who were outplayed until they scored three goals in nine minutes to shatter Southampton
Southampton led only to lose 3-2 for the second time in seven days as Chelsea claimed three points on the South Coast.
Dusan Tadic's first-half opener and a goal on debut from Jan Bednarek put the relegation-threatened Saints 2-0 up after an hour.
But Olivier Giroud came off the bench to score twice either side of a fine Eden Hazard effort as Chelsea silenced St Mary's.
Revisit the action with Sportsmail's ROBERT SUMMERSCALES who delivered blow-by-blow updates.
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Eden Hazard arrives at St Mary's for Chelsea's Premier League match against Southampton
Gary Cahill (above) leads Chelsea as captain, with Antonio Rudiger not in the 18-man squad
Dusan Tadic (right) celebrates scoring Southampton's opener after an assist by Ryan Bertrand
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