Chelsea delivered an emphatic 5-1 victory over Southampton at St. Mary’s on Wednesday, narrowing the gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool. The match saw Chelsea capitalize on a commanding performance and Southampton’s errors, with Jack Stephens’ red card for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair exacerbating the home side’s woes.
Chelsea began on the front foot, with Axel Disasi opening the scoring in the seventh minute. The defender met a corner at the near post with a powerful header to put the visitors ahead. Southampton responded quickly, leveling through Joe Aribo just four minutes later. Kyle Walker-Peters’ neat cutback set up Aribo to slot home, providing brief hope for the struggling Saints.
However, Southampton’s insistence on playing out from the back proved costly once again. Goalkeeper Joe Lumley’s misjudged pass was intercepted by Chelsea’s Noni Madueke, who set up Christopher Nkunku for an easy finish into an empty net. Chelsea continued to dominate, and Madueke added a third before halftime, cutting inside and curling a precise shot into the far corner after being played in by Joao Felix.
Southampton’s task became insurmountable just before the break when Jack Stephens was shown a straight red card for an unnecessary hair-pull on Cucurella during a corner kick. Reduced to ten men, Southampton struggled to contain Chelsea’s relentless attacking threat in the second half.
Chelsea could have extended their lead earlier, with Felix heading wide and Tosin Adarabioyo hitting the post. The fourth goal eventually came in the 76th minute when Nkunku’s effort was nudged over the line by Cole Palmer to ensure there were no doubts. The rout was complete in the 87th minute when Jadon Sancho, set up by Malo Gusto, rifled a shot past Lumley.
The win marked Chelsea’s third consecutive league victory under manager Enzo Maresca. Reflecting on the result, Maresca expressed his delight: “The results, for sure, help us a lot to calm down noise around the club. It’s a good feeling to see the fans happy.”
Meanwhile, Southampton fans voiced their frustration, greeting the final whistle with boos. Manager Russell Martin acknowledged their disappointment, saying: “I understand that people want their team to win and when they see such a big scoreline… I understand it.”
