Chelsea shook up their side and broke up their form. With a selection that had no room initially for William Gallas, Graeme Le Saux or Frank Lampard, the club failed to win a home match for the first occasion since September 28. It would be an unmerited slight on highly effective visitors to suppose that Claudio Ranieri's rotation policy was the sole factor, but it had an effect.
The Chelsea coach can argue that his revamped line-up might have struggled through. Gallas came on in the 86th minute and, set up by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, compelled Antti Niemi to a spry save before seeming, absurdly, to get in the way of two drives by John Terry in stoppage time. On the latter occasion, Chelsea were convinced a Southampton player had handled and Ranieri, with black humour, referred to "two goalkeepers" in the incident.
Against obdurate and balanced visitors, duress and panic needed to be provoked much sooner. Ranieri found the result tolerable, but he may have set the wrong tone at the beginning of a critical period. Chelsea faltered last season with only a single point from games against the five clubs they are again facing at the turn of the year.
They started that schedule more effectively this time around with the defeat of Aston Villa but one might have expected Ranieri to be hell-bent on a maximum return from yesterday's home game considering that Chelsea now travel to Leeds United and, ominously, Arsenal. No one can deny his right to get maximum flexibility from a handsomely paid squad, but the timing will be questioned.
As if Southampton were not intractable enough, the Stamford Bridge surface is also obstructive and the pitch will be relaid after the fixture with Charlton on January 11.
Quique de Lucas sent Hasselbaink running on the right to deliver a low cross, after six minutes, that Gianfranco Zola fired against the post from close range. Chelsea were unable to be quite so direct again until, with nine minutes remaining, Zola put Hasselbaink through, only for the Dutchman to be forced wide by Michael Svensson so that his eventual attempt from an angle ripped across the face of the target.
That was typical of Southampton, who so often found a covering challenge such as the one Chris Marsden produced after De Lucas had been supplied by Zola before the interval. Yet there is more to Southampton than a resilient back four. They are strong in midfield as well and so ensure that they avoid being subjected to a barrage.
"They play very easy," Ranieri said admiringly of the uncomplicated system that makes Southampton capable of the consistency required for a spot in the upper half of the table. Ed de Goey, given his first outing of the season because Carlo Cudicini is injured, had occasions when he must have feared that his return would be stained by the loss of a goal.
The openings, though, fell to Rory Delap and Svensson before half-time and, with neither man showing a predatory trait, the ball ran meekly to the goalkeeper. Southampton, unbeaten in six games, have no cause to berate themselves and Strachan was carefree.
"There's a nice glow to us," he said. Now Chelsea must show that they will not dim in the quest for the title.
