Chelsea fell to defeat once again in the Premier League, exacerbating the woeful season that the club have endured, and today’s reverse at Stamford Bridge against bottom-of-the-table Southampton was frankly inexcusable.

The visitors, who had lost nine of their previous ten top-flight matches, completed a priceless victory against their hosts to exacerbate the problems with which Graham Potter is currently beset.

Despite spending roughly £288m in January, Chelsea’s form has continued to deteriorate, having clinched victory just twice from their last 14 outings across all competitions.

Despite having 17 shots to Southampton’s eight, both teams hit the target on five occasions, and Chelsea now face a daunting task of rekindling enough of their former vigour to forge any sort of push towards the top-four, with Champions League football next year hanging by a very tenuous thread.

Was Mount “miles off” it against Southampton?

Despite Potter replacing Thomas Tuchel as manager in September, Chelsea have not rebounded from their flagging form with any sense of conviction, if anything plunging into even murkier territory since that change in the dugout.

This result against Southampton might just be the nadir; today’s results keep the Blues in tenth place, but they are now four points adrift of Brentford in eighth.

There were several lacklustre performances from the Blues, but one man in particular who would’ve irked supporters with his showing today is Mason Mount.

Having risen through the youth ranks at his boyhood club, the 24-year-old has enjoyed much success at Stamford Bridge, notably winning the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

However, on Saturday afternoon, he was nowhere near the standards that he has set during his 190 previous appearances for the club.

As per Sofascore, Mount’s 6.0 match rating bettered only that of Joao Felix, and he did not find a comfortable home on the left flank. The £80k-per-week Englishman completed just six of his 11 attempted passes and had only 22 touches before being substituted on 64 minutes.

More startlingly, he mustered just one shot (which was blocked) and lost 87.5% of his duels (7/8), flimsy and futile in his efforts to conjure up any shred of positivity. Also, having failed to make a single defensive contribution, it was a wholly forgettable day for Mount.

Among the Chelsea players who were “miles off” it today, according to one journalist at Stamford Bridge, the 36-cap England international was indeed at the very epicentre of his team’s troubles.

Another meagre display will hardly calm the roiling waters surrounding the speculation regarding Mount’s long-term future at Stamford Bridge. With the player so far failing to agree a new contract with the Blues, talk over an exit from SW6 is rife, with Liverpool among the suitors.

While the tactical decision to play him in an unfamiliar pitch on the left flank lies largely with the manager, Potter will be bitterly disappointed that the 24-year-old failed to take a hold of the match and inject a sliver of positivity back into the beleaguered Blues’ campaign.

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