Chelsea missed the chance to strengthen their top-four position as they produced an ineffective display in a 0-0 home draw with Southampton.

Eden Hazard spurned the best opening of the first half when he fired at Southampton goalkeeper Angus Gunn, who was making his Premier League debut.

Chelsea continued to labour after half-time, with Alvaro Morata having a goal ruled out in the 71st minute after a tight offside call and then seeing a shot saved by Gunn.

Southampton rarely threatened but will likely be satisfied with a hard-earned point, while there were some boos from Chelsea fans at the final whistle.

Having lost their final home game of 2018 to Leicester, this was another lacklustre display from Chelsea in front of their own supporters, who had been buoyed earlier in the day by the signing of Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund.

Chelsea particularly struggled to get anything going in a forgettable first half.

Morata headed at Gunn while Willian had a shot blocked before he was taken off with injury in the 37th minute.

Chelsea's best chance fell to Hazard but he fired at Gunn after controlling Antonio Rudiger's pass over the top.

While Southampton didn't have a shot on target before the break, they were compact in defence and succeeded in frustrating Chelsea and keeping them at bay.

Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was called into action early in the second half to tip a low shot wide from Stuart Armstrong.

But the game soon settled into the same pattern as the first half, with Chelsea controlling possession and failing to create any clear openings.

Hazard and Jorginho shot at Gunn while Morata thought he had broken the deadlock when he finished from inside the box, only for the flag to go up for a tight offside call.

Substitutes Cesc Fabregas and Ruben Loftus-Cheek then combined to tee up Morata but Gunn blocked his low shot.

What's next?

Chelsea host Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday and then travel to Tottenham for the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday, live on Sky Sports. Their next Premier League match sees them host Newcastle on Saturday, January 12.

Southampton face a trip to Championship side Derby in the FA Cup on Saturday and then travel to Leicester in the Premier League on January 12.

Teams

Chelsea Kepa, Azpilicueta (c), Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso, Kante, Jorginho, Barkley (Fabregas 68), Willian (Loftus-Cheek 37), Morata, Hazard
Subs Not Used Caballero, Zappacosta, Christensen, Ampadu, Emerson
Booked Rudiger
Goals

Southampton Gunn, Soares, Yoshida, Vestergaard, Valery, Ward-Prowse, Romeu (c), Bednarek, Redmond (Stephens 90+5), Ings (Long 46), Armstrong (Austin 89)
Subs Not Used Slattery, McCarthy, Elyounoussi, Ramsay
Booked Bednarek, Romeu
Goals

Attendance 40,668

Referee Jonathan Moss