And breathe.

It's been a relentless few minutes, but to no avail for the hosts.

Southampton, after a positive start, will probably be pleased to make the break all square.

Chelsea are opening up Southampton now - that old live text commentator's curse...

Willian seems to have glued the ball to his boots. The Brazil forward's toes are more twinkly than my nan's Christmas tree as he waltzes into the box and tees up Marcos Alonso.

Alonso takes it on his right foot, fires towards Fraser Forster's near post and the keeper does well to push wide for a corner.

Image source, Getty Images

Hang on, just as I've lauded the Southampton defence they're all at sea and Eden Hazard has space to run in to for the first time.

He sprints down the left, rolls a pass across the box and it reaches Willian, but the Brazilian has it pinched off his toes by a retreating Ryan Bertrand just as he was about to shoot.

Great tackle!

Pat Nevin
Ex-Chelsea winger at Stamford Bridge for 5 live Sport

The real problem Chelsea have at the moment is that without Alvaro Morata there's no one to get balls in the box to - without him there's no real height for them. So, they're having to play it into feet every time and Southampton are dealing with it well at the moment.

The majority of Chelsea's chances have come from long range, probably because they find a sea of red and white in front of them every time the hosts get the ball.

Solid from the Saints in the first half hour.

Neither keeper is going to get cold here - they're taking turns to make saves, and Fraser Forster is equal to N'Golo Kante's effort.

Eden Hazard, scampering across the box, lays it off to the oncoming midfielder but the sting is taken out of Kante's long-range effort by a Southampton boot.

Forster, just as spectacularly as before, dives across and pushes it away from goal.

More solid goalkeeping at the Bridge, this time at the other end.

Southampton look to pick their way through the Chelsea back three and find the run of Manolo Gabbiadini, but Thibaut Courtois is off his line like an Olympic sprinter to smother that one.

Image source, Reuters

A couple of quick saves for Fraser Forster's highlights reel there!

First, Willian's deep cross to the back post is volleyed back goalwards by Marcos Alonso. It bounces up in front of the keeper and he spectacularly punches it clear.

Then Gary Cahill fancies his chances from 30 yards or so, drives a low, left-footed effort on target and Forster palms it away to safety, just.

Neither really troubled the keeper, saves looked nice though...

Decent start to this one at Stamford Bridge. Southampton are certainly holding their own, they look much better than in that drubbing by Leicester in midweek.

Saints seem happy to let Chelsea have the ball and then pounce on them on the break.

Image source, Reuters

That's the end of Cedric Soares' afternoon, he's replaced by Mario Lemina after picking up an early knock.

Willian will probably feel he should have done better after creating a bit of space - lovely drop of the shoulder to buy himself a yard in the Southampton box.

Tell you what, the Blues aren't afraid to play out from the back. Short, intricate passing in their own box ends with a neat bit of footwork from Victor Moses and Chelsea start moving forward.

It's a clever passage that is worked forward for Willian to exchange a one-two with Marcos Alonso in the box and create an opening.

The Brazilian beats a defender as he drives across goal only to pull a right-footed shot wide and low of the far post.

Closest either side have come so far.

Early scare for Chelsea then. How can the champions respond?

Southampton have plenty of bodies behind the ball and there's little space for the likes of Eden Hazard, Willian and Pedro to work their magic.

Image source, Reuters

And now Southampton are the ones asking questions!

Saints work it left and Nathan Redmond scampers towards the byeline before pulling it back across the face of goal.

Thibaut Courtois and Gary Cahill make a bit of a mess of clearing in the six-yard box, but eventually scramble away from danger.

That just needed a visiting forward to be lurking in the box and Southampton would surely have been one up.

Now then, the first corner goes the way of the visitors...

James Ward-Prowse's whipped delivery is headed out to the edge of the box, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg sizes the dipping ball up, swings a leg at it and sends high, wide and not at all handsome.

A bit of space in the opposition half for Southampton for the first time as the composed Jack Stephens strides forward from the back.

But Chelsea pinch it and look to counter quickly, Willian the architect. It's neat, but not as effective as Antonio Conte would've liked.

Plenty of Saints bodies back behind the ball by the time it reaches Marcos Alonso and the visitors deal with that attack.

A couple of former Chelsea players who might be looking to prove a point today - left-back Ryan Bertrand and midfielder Oriol Romeu.

Both are having to do a bit of chasing early on as Victor Moses collects a sweeping Eden Hazard pass on the right and Bertrand is forced to slide in and block the wing-back's cross.

Chelsea get a second bite at that one, but this time Romeu heads it clear.

A bit of Blues keep-ball early doors at the Bridge, before Willian tries an optimistic flick and Southampton win it back.

What can the Saints do? Heap it long, and give it back to the hosts....

Here we go.

Chelsea's Eden Hazard gets this one under way...

A quick reminder of the teams before kick-off...

Chelsea: Thibaut Courtois, César Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen, Gary Cahill, Marcos Alonso, Victor Moses, N'Golo Kanté, Tiemoué Bakayoko, Eden Hazard, Pedro, Willian.

Southampton: Fraser Forster, Cédric Soares, Wesley Hoedt, Maya Yoshida, Jack Stephens, Ryan Betrand, Oriol Romeu, James Ward-Prowse, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Manolo Gabbiadini, Nathan Redmond.