Blues cruise past wretched Saints and back into the top four
FINISHING THE JOB: Southampton's Yukinari Sugawara (second left) appears dejected after Chelsea's Marc Cucurella scores their side's fourth goal of the game during the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge, London. Pic: John Walton/PA Wire
Just when Enzo Maresca and his Chelsea players were in need of a lift, they had the good fortune to face a Southampton side whose relegation is all but confirmed. A comfortable four-goal victory took Maresca’s side back into the top four and - the head coach will hope - drew a line under a testing run.
The night had begun with with a protest outside Stamford Bridge by some supporters frustrated at the direction of the club. It ended with the Blues’ challenge to claim a place in next season’s Champions League revived after first-half goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Levi Colwill put them fully in control with Marc Cucurella adding the fourth. With a meeting with struggling Leicester City next up in the league, Maresca’s side are in a position to move on from a difficult start to the calendar year.
When these two teams met in early December, Chelsea’s 5-1 victory moved them up to second place in the Premier League and was welcomed by the visiting supporters with chants of ‘we’ve got our Chelsea back’.
That win came in the middle of a run of eight-successive victories in all competitions and, two league games later, Maresca’s side had moved to within two points of leaders Liverpool, although they had played a game more. But a return of just two wins in ten league games since since then meant Chelsea came into this in seventh place and with the mood around Stamford Bridge having changed dramatically.
That shift was summed by the pre-match protest by some Blues fans expressing their frustration that the club is not challenging for more honours this season - they remain clear favourites to win the Conference League - and demanding a change in ownership, adding to the pressure surrounding Maresca and his players.
The Chelsea head coach reacted to the frustrating defeat at Aston Villa by keeping faith with Filip Jorgensen in his starting line-up, despite the goalkeeper’s late mistake that gifted Villa victory. It was the latest of succession of individual errors - Jorgensen was given his chance after Robert Sanchez made one mistake too many - that have undermined the club’s season.
There were early signs of uncertainty among Maresca’s side with Enzo Fernandez and Pedro Neto, again employed in the central striker goal, were both guilty of overrunning the ball, on both occasions bringing a good attacking move to an end. And when Jadon Sancho drilled a low ball across the face of the Southampton goal, there was no Chelsea player in a position to turn home from close range.
A positive start by Southampton did nothing to ease home nerves, particularly when Kyle Walker-Peters rose unchallenged at the far post to head wide shortly after Paul Onuachu’s first time shot had flown over the bar. And the tension extended to the stands with the home supporters making it clear what they thought about Jorgensen’s unwillingness to clear his lines.
It was clear Chelsea needed a goal to settle the growing anxiety inside the stadium but when Cole Palmer failed to make more of three opportunities in three minutes midway through the half, home concerns started to grow.
Palmer was twice presented with a clear sight of goal after being picked out by Enzo Fernandez. The first time his hurried first time shot from the edge of the box flew well wide. Moments later, the playmaker had an even better chance when he was one on one with keeper Aaron Ramsdale.
A confident Palmer would have attempted to deceive the keeper but instead he shot too close to Ramsdale who saved with his legs. To the England international’s relief, the miss didn’t prove costly as Chelsea went ahead from the resulting corner. Pedro Neto swung in a cross that was flicked on by Tosin Adarabioyo towards the far post where Nkunku stooped to head home from close range.
Chelsea should have been comfortable but it took a superb save from Jorgensen to deny Onuachu’s header as Southampton provided a reminder they were still in the game.
But that soon disappeared when Neto added the 36th-minute second that came after another Southampton mistake. Saints had conceded 18 goals from individual errors before this game - unsurprisingly more than any other other Premier League team - and midfielder Flynn Downes contributed the latest blunder, conceding possession near halfway, allowing Chelsea to break. Nkunku played in Neto and the Portuguese finished emphatically.
It was turning into the kind of night Maresca needed, especially when Colwill headed the third from a Neto free-kick to extend the advantage a minute before the break.
The game was over as a contest but Cucurella gave Chelsea cause for further celebrations when he capped a 78th minute counter attack with the fourth.
Jorgensen 6; Gusto 6, Adarabioyo 7, Colwill 7, Cucurella 6; Caicedo 6 (Amougu 83, 6), Fernandez 7 (Mheuka 89, 6); Nkunku 7 (Acheampong 83,6), Palmer 6, Sancho 7 (Dewsbury-Hall 68, 6); Neto 8 (George 68, 6), Sanchez, Fofana, James, Samuels-Smith,.
Ramsdale 6; Bree 5 (Harwood-Bellis 46, 6), Bella-Kotchap 6, Aribo 5; Sugawara 5, Downes 5, Smallbone 6, Walker-Peters 6 (Manning 60, 6); Fernandes 5, Onuachu 6 (Dibling 60, 6), Sulemana 6 McCarthy, Stephens, Wood, Welington, Gronbaek, Archer.
Thomas Bramall 6
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