Chelsea "Too Easy" To Beat, Fumes Thomas Tuchel After Defeat At Southampton

Thomas Tuchel criticized his Chelsea team's "soft, soft, soft defending" and said that they are "too easy" to beat after watching them lose 2-1 at Southampton.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel criticized his team's "soft, soft, soft defending" and said that they are "too easy" to beat after watching them lose 2-1 at Southampton.

The Blues fell to their second defeat of the season despite taking the lead on 17 minutes courtesy of summer signing Raheem Sterling.

Southampton hit back through Romeo Lavia, who fired home from long range after a James Ward-Prowse corner was only half-cleared.

Adam Armstrong then completed the turnaround by finding the net via a deflection off Kalidou Koulibaly.

Chelsea have now conceded eight goals in five EPL matches this season and Tuchel is not impressed.

Watch Highlights: Southampton 2-1 Chelsea

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel pictured on the touchline during his side's 2-1 defeat at Southampton :: IMAGO/PA Images/Steven Paston

Tuchel told BBC Sport: "It is too easy to put us off balance, to beat us, to confuse us.

"It is too easy. It happened against Leeds. We need to understand why and find solutions.

"We lose concentration, we lose our plan and lose consistency, it is too easy to beat us.

"You can always lose football matches and I am humble enough to admit this but in a match where you are in the lead there is no need to give away half chances. To have no answers in the second half was disappointing.

"We need to have answers, we need to step up and play a level higher if needed. We struggled to do this."

Chelsea had been without Reece James, who was ill, and injured midfielder N'Golo Kante at St Mary's, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek picked up a knock during Tuesday's game.

In a post-match interview with BT Sport, Tuchel said: "We started well in all the games almost but obviously we are struggling with our focus and consistency in matches.

"We struggle to find answers and find the way back if things don't go in our direction.

"I don't know if concern is the right word. I absolutely dislike to lose, it is the second time this season and I don't think it takes a lot to beat us and this I don't like.

"We try to win matches and the way we do this is something we need to understand as fast as possible. I also don't understand why we are in this situation with injuries to all midfield."

Tuchel added: "Soft, soft, soft defending. There is no need to give shots away. Just toughen up as a team and show a different mentality.

"I don't like to talk about it normally because you cannot prove it with the data, body position or with the tactical position in defeat. But it's like this.

"Both goals are cheap goals, soft goals, and should not happen if you expect to win a Premier League match, a night game and an away game.

"With our demands and the ambitions we have, it's even more important if key players are missing that we need to show a different mentality - it's too easy to push us off the track, it's too easy to win challenges, it's too easy to bully us."

Chelsea now face back-to-back London derbies in the Premier League as they take on West Ham and Fulham, either side of their Champions League opener against Dinamo Zagreb next Tuesday.