Chelsea sauntered to a different Premier League victory on Wednesday night time as they thrashed ten-man Southampton 5-1 at St. Mary’s.
The hosts had been already 3-1 down when captain Jack Stephens noticed crimson, with Southampton capitulating time-and-time once more within the build-up part earlier than half-time and Chelsea pounced.
The Blues made essentially the most of a depleted Saints outfit to coast to victory, with their triumph leaving them now seven factors off league leaders Liverpool after the Reds had been held by Newcastle at St. James’ Park. Southampton stay on the foot of the desk following Wednesday’s defeat.
How the sport unfolded
Enzo Maresca has sometimes made wholesale adjustments for Chelsea’s midweek fixtures this time period, and he wasn’t afraid to take action even for a Premier League outing right here. The Italian made seven alterations from the facet that cruised previous Aston Villa on Sunday, however the Blues did not miss a beat on the south coast.
There have been objectives at each ends of the pitch to start out the competition, with Southampton beginning brightly and cancelling out Axel Disasi’s header from Enzo Fernandez’s nook. Kyle Walker-Peters, deployed in a vastly difficult function by his supervisor, twice made Fernandez look somewhat foolish earlier than he teed up Joe Aribo for the hosts’ brightest second of the night time.
Saints self-infliction then undermined their optimistic begin. Noni Madueke pinched a hospital Joe Lumley move meant for Walker-Peters within the centre of the pitch and teed up Christopher Nkunku for a easy end.
At 2-1, Chelsea settled into the competition and began to have their method with the hosts. They created superiorities all around the pitch and had been in a position to progress ahead at will. They seemed like scoring each time they entered the Southampton half, and the indicators had been ominous for Russell Martin’s males after Madueke added a 3rd following a flowing transfer.
A delicate however nonetheless silly hair pull from Stephens on Marc Cucurella ensured he acquired his marching orders earlier than half-time, with Southampton pressured to play the remaining 50 minutes with ten males.
Southampton supplied the odd spark of attacking endeavour and remained a risk in transition regardless of Chelsea’s superiority. Filip Jorgensen was drawn into a superb save to disclaim Mateus Fernandes, however his reverse quantity was labored much more often because the Blues aimed to place the competition to mattress. Lumley made save after save to maintain the scoreline at 3-1 heading into the ultimate 20 minutes.
Maresca’s facet ultimately netted a fourth by a poaching Cole Palmer, who will not rating a better purpose in his profession, and there was time for Chelsea so as to add a fifth by susbtitute Jadon Sancho. The Blues actually might’ve hit double digits, however they had been denied by a formidable Lumley shot-stopping efficiency and the woodwork on a few events.
Nonetheless, there was lots for the Blues boss to be happy with.
An argument might be made for Chelsea being the one Premier League workforce to make as many adjustments as seven from their supposed strongest XI and put out a facet boasting this a lot high quality.
Positive, there have been a few teething points between the moderately unfamiliar centre-back pairing, however Chelsea in any other case loved a stress-free night time at St. Mary’s.
Maresca’s delicate game-by-game tweaks appear to at all times given the Blues one of the best probability of outmanouvering their opponents. Right here, Malo Gusto’s inversions into the pivot freed up Fernandez to work in tandem with Palmer, and the field construction created by Chelsea’s midfield overloaded Southampton’s trio, who wanted Walker-Peters to step out of defence to match the Blues in the course of the park.
Their work was the ball was slick and environment friendly regardless of the adjustments, with Maresca’s rotated XI rapidly rising conversant in each other. The extensive gamers had been magnificent for various causes; Felix for his craft and guile when drifting into central positions, and Madueke for his selection in one-on-one conditions. Each performed as if they’d one thing to show.
They’ve confirmed themselves towards sterner opponents this season, however this show was nonetheless properly worthy of appreciation.
Even essentially the most confident of Chelsea stars, Palmer and Madueke, have been eager to echo the emotions of their supervisor in quietening title speak.
Nonetheless, the Blues need to be within the dialog. They’ve picked up 14 factors from a potential 18 of their earlier six league outings, and will finish the night time in second after bulking up their purpose distinction at Southampton.
With Newcastle pegging league leaders Liverpool again late on at St. James’ Park, Chelsea are actually seven factors adrift, two lower than earlier than. They’re within the hunt, and whereas they journey to Tottenham on Sunday, their run up till a visit to the Etihad Stadium on the finish of January seems form on paper.
They have a terrific probability to eat into Liverpool’s lead, however Maresca will doubtlessly re-assert his facet’s stealth within the race.
You may respect Russell Martin’s idealism, however there is no denying that Southampton’s unrelenting willingness to play out from the again has veered in direction of outright stupidity on the braveness continuum.
Nkunku’s end into an empty web was the ninth purpose Southampton have conceded from an error this season. They’re on the verge of already matching Brentford’s undesirable single season report of ten.
Alex McCarthy was the first perpetrator on their final St. Mary’s outing towards Liverpool, with the goalkeeper’s efficiency that day forcing Martin right into a change with Aaron Ramsdale nonetheless out injured. Lumley has been thrust right into a beginning function, but it surely was his kamikaze move into Walker-Peters which led to Nkunku’s straightforward purpose after Madueke pinched possessiong off the Saints defender.
Lumley’s decision-making was poor in possession all through, with boos ringing out throughout St. Mary’s when the goalkeeper was rushed into an errant move which landed on the toes of Palmer in direction of the top of the first-half.
Martin’s model proved profitable within the second tier, however he hasn’t bought the gamers within the build-up part to deal with the Premier League’s extra intense and astute pressers. Chelsea had a subject day setting traps within the first half.
Look, Chelsea had been 3-1 up and coasting anyway. Stephens’ sending-off wouldn’t have affected the end result of Wednesday night time’s sport, however that does not render the second any much less silly on behalf of the Saints skipper.
This was way more delicate than his woeful problem on Alejandro Garnacho earlier within the season which additionally resulted in a crimson card. Stephens’ hair pull on Cucurella was missed by referee Tony Harrington on-field, however VAR swiftly intervened and rightfully punished the Saints captain.
Given the scoreline on the time of the incident and what Southampton had been already up towards given their array of key absences, this was an totally careless act.
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