In a dazzling display of football, Chelsea continued their impressive streak with a convincing 5-1 victory against a 10-man Southampton team at St. Mary’s. This victory keeps them within striking distance of Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Strategic Rotations and Early Leads
Chelsea’s manager, Enzo Maresca, made a decisive move by rotating his squad, introducing fresh legs following their recent victory over Aston Villa. This strategy paid dividends early on when Axel Disasi converted Enzo Fernandez’s corner with a sharp header. Despite missing key players, Southampton started energetically, quickly equalising through Joe Aribo, capitalising on an excellent play by Kyle Walker-Peters.
Southampton’s Self-Sabotage
The match’s momentum significantly shifted following Jack Stephens’ red card for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair—an act of indiscipline that left the Saints with a mountain to climb already trailing 3-1. Southampton’s defensive frailties were exposed as Chelsea capitalised on errors, with Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke adding to the scoreline. Despite being a man down, Southampton showed brief flashes of attacking intent, but Chelsea’s superiority was overwhelming.
Photo: IMAGO
Unrelenting Chelsea Capitalise
Goalkeeper Joe Lumley, despite his struggles with ball handling, performed admirably in goal for Southampton, but his efforts did little to stem the tide. Chelsea’s relentless pressure continued, with Cole Palmer and Jadon Sancho (scoring his first Premier League goal for Chelsea) rounding off the scoring.
This result places Chelsea just seven points behind the leaders, keeping their title aspirations very much alive.
Player Ratings
Here’s how the players fared in this high-intensity match:
Southampton:
GK: Joe Lumley – 5/10
RWB: James Bree – 5/10
CB: Nathan Wood – 5/10
CB: Jack Stephens – 4/10
CB: Kyle Walker-Peters – 5/10
LWB: Ryan Manning – 6/10
CM: Ryan Fraser – 6/10
CM: Joe Aribo – 8/10
CM: Mateus Fernandes – 6/10
ST: Adam Armstrong – 6/10
ST: Cameron Archer – 6/10
Subs:Kamaldeen Sulemana – 6/10
Ben Brereton Diaz – 6/10
Yukinari Sagawara – 6/10
Ronnie Edwards – 6.0/10
Charlie Taylor – 6/10
Chelsea:
GK: Filip Jorgensen – 7/10
RB: Malo Gusto – 8/10
CB: Axel Disasi – 8/10
CB: Tosin Adarabioyo – 7/10
LB: Marc Cucurella – 6/10
DM: Moises Caicedo – 7/10
DM: Enzo Fernandez – 7/10
RM: Noni Madueke – 8/10
AM: Cole Palmer – 8/10
LM: Joao Felix – 8/10
ST: Christopher Nkunku – 8/10
Subs:Jadon Sancho – 7/10
Renato Veiga – 6/10
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 6/10
Player of the Match: Noni Madueke (Chelsea)
Chelsea’s robust performance against Southampton not only highlights their depth and strategic prowess but also underscores their resilience and ability to exploit opposition mistakes—an essential quality for contenders in the Premier League.