Chelsea v Southampton player ratings: Werner 9, Loftus-Cheek 8; Ward-Prowse 5

Blues claim a 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge after the visitors were reduced to 10 men in the second half

CHELSEA PLAYER RATINGS: Edouard Mendy – 6. Had little to do in way of important saves but commanded his area well enough and was sharp when required. Little chance with Ward-Prowse’s penalty. EPA

Thiago Silva – 7. The Premier League’s oldest outfield player looks like he still has another decade at this level. Silva was once again the epitome of composure. Reuters

Antonio Rudiger – 7. Another rock-solid performance from a rock-solid defender. The German produced several important blocks and is starting to make a habit of his marauding runs. This time it almost resulted in an assist, but Lukaku had drifted slightly offside. PA

Trevoh Chalobah – 8. Opened the scoring with a low diving header and continues to impress since breaking into the first team. Strong defensively and comfortable on the ball. Getty

Cesar Azpilicueta – 8. Delivered a stunning first time cross to set up Werner for the German’s goal. Predictably reliable in defence but earns high marks for that cross alone. AFP

Ben Chilwell – 7. Looked dangerous going forward but his rash challenge on Livramento gifted Southampton an equaliser. Redeemed himself and then some with a thunderbolt volley to make it 3-1. Tuchel spoke of Chilwell’s dented confidence as the reason for his lack of minutes so far this season. This would have done his confidence a world of good. Getty

Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 8. Broke through the lines for fun, providing energy and drive to the Chelsea midfield and spread play at will. Produced an Air Jordan-style leap to flick the ball on for Chalobah’s goal. Certainly taking his opportunities to impress Tuchel. Getty

Mateo Kovacic – 7. The Croatian delivered a typically committed and energetic performance, supporting his team in defence and launching counter-attacks, but did not quite dominate the midfield as he so often does. PA

Callum Hudson-Odoi – 7. Deployed at left wing, Hudson-Odoi charged at Southampton defenders all afternoon and was unlucky not to get an assist when Werner’s header was chalked off. An encouraging display. PA

Chelsea's German striker Timo Werner (R) celebrates with teammates after he scores his team's second goal during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge in London on October 2, 2021. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /

Romelu Lukaku – 6. Chelsea are still working out how to best play to the Belgian striker’s strengths Got into the action after the break and could have had an excellent assist only for Werner’s effort to be saved. Inexplicably missed a golden chance when he clattered the post but it mattered little as Chilwell struck from the rebound. Getty

SUBS: Mason Mount (On for Hudon-Odoi 65’) – 7. Made a huge difference after coming on and helped Chelsea make the most of their extra player. Brought energy and attacking threat. An instant reminder of how much the Blues have missed him during his injury absence. Getty

Jorginho (On for Kovacic 73’) – 6. It was Ward-Prowse’s challenge on the Italian that ultimately turned the game in Chelsea’s favour. Little impact beyond that. Getty

Ross Barkley (On for Loftus-Cheek 83’) – 7. Delivered a pinpoint cross to Azpilicueta with his first contribution to start the move for Werner’s goal. A fine cameo. Getty

SOUTHAMPTON PLAYER RATINGS: Alex McCarthy – 7. Can’t be blamed for any of the conceded goals and made several vital saves, none more so than his strong hand to deny Werner. AP Photo

Tino Livramento – 7. Tuchel spoke of his regret at the young right-back leaving in the summer and based on this performance, it’s clear to see why. Produced a great challenge on Hudson-Odoi to display his defensive ability, before earning a penalty with some sharp footwork against Chilwell. AFP

Jan Bednarek – 6. Had a busy afternoon trying to stand up to Chelsea’s relentless attacks. Did well enough until the Blues poured forward after Ward-Prowse’s dismissal. AFP

Mohammed Salisu – 6. Similar to defensive partner Bednarek, Salisu largely did well against Chelsea until the late pressure became too much. Getty

Kyle Walker-Peters – 6. Showed great feet to set up a good chance for Walcott in the first half but his attacking contribution was muted after that and had his hands full with Werner. Getty

Theo Walcott – 5. Had a great chance to level but flashed his header wide. That was as good as it got for the former England man, who was replaced at half-time. Getty

Oriol Romeu – 6. Produced a great block to deny Werner in the first half but was largely outclassed by Loftus-Cheek and Kovacic in midfield. PA

James Ward-Prowse – 5. Buried a trademark penalty to earn Southampton parity but was given his marching orders after VAR deemed his ankle-cruncher on Jorginho worthy of red. It proved a pivotal moment as Chelsea poured forward to win the game. Getty

Nathan Tella – 7. Provided a real spark for the visitors and used his pace to help Southampton attack. Looks a real talent. Getty

Nathan Redmond – 6. One of those frustrating Redmond performances where he looked on the verge of doing something dangerous but never quite pulled it off. AFP

Stuart Armstrong – 5. Struggled for chances and hit one tame effort straight at Mendy. Never looked like threatening the Chelsea goal. Getty

Ibrahima Diallo (On for Walcott 45’) – 6. Brought on as part of a change in system but his influence was limited. EPA

Moussa Djenepo (On for Tella 73’) – N/A. PA

Mohamed Elyounoussi (On for Redmond 87’) – N/A. Getty

Chelsea got back to winning ways on Saturday, beating Southampton 3-1 in the Premier League thanks to late goals by Timo Werner and Ben Chilwell after the Saints were reduced to 10 men.

Blues defender Trevoh Chalobah put the hosts ahead in the ninth minute but Southampton hit back with a penalty converted by James Ward-Prowse in the 61st minute after Chilwell fouled former Chelsea defender Tino Livramento.

Ward-Prowse was shown a straight red card 16 minutes later for a foul on Jorginho which was picked up by the VAR officials and the game swung back Chelsea's way.

In the 84th minute, Werner scored from point-blank range after a cross by captain Cesar Azpilicueta and five minutes later Chilwell atoned for giving away the earlier penalty by smashing the ball in after a goalmouth scramble.

The win lifted Chelsea to the top of the table ahead of Sunday's clash between fellow title contenders Liverpool and Manchester City. Winless Southampton remain just outside the relegation zone.

In the photo gallery above, Jon Turner has provided his player ratings from Stamford Bridge. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.