Chelsea put on a dominant display as they cruised to a 4-0 victory over Southampton at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.
Enzo Maresca’s side controlled the game from start to finish, with goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, Levi Colwill, and Marc Cucurella sealing an emphatic win.
The game began with Chelsea enjoying early spells of possession as they sought to break down Southampton’s defensive setup.
Despite a couple of promising moments for the visitors, including an effort from Paul Onuachu that was comfortably dealt with byFilip Jorgensen, it was the Blues who looked the more threatening.
The breakthrough arrived in the 24th minute when Enzo Fernandez’s corner was flicked on by Tosin Adarabioyo, finding Nkunku at the back post. The Frenchman made no mistake, nodding home from close range to make it 1-0.
Chelsea’s attacking momentum continued, and just 12 minutes later, Nkunku turned provider. He surged through the midfield before slipping a perfectly weighted pass to Neto, who powered a fierce shot past Aaron Ramsdale at the near post to double the lead.
As half-time approached, Southampton struggled to cope with Chelsea’s fluid attacking movements. Their defensive frailties were further exposed in the 43rd minute when Neto whipped in a dangerous free-kick, which Levi Colwill met with a thunderous header to put Chelsea 3-0 up before the break.
Four goals, three points! 😁#CFC | #CHESOU pic.twitter.com/kEChbFG4xQ
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 25, 2025
Southampton, who had managed just 0.21 expected goals (xG) in the first half, looked out of ideas and overwhelmed by Chelsea’s intensity.
Despite the comfortable lead, Chelsea showed no signs of complacency after the restart. Nkunku, Palmer, and Fernandez all came close to extending the lead within the opening minutes of the second half, but Ramsdale produced a series of excellent saves to keep the scoreline from becoming even more embarrassing.
Southampton manager Ivan Juric made a string of substitutions in an attempt to inject energy into his side, introducing the likes of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Ryan Manning, and Tyler Dibling.
However, the Saints struggled to create meaningful chances, failing to register a single shot on target in the second half.
Chelsea, meanwhile, continued to dominate possession and probe for openings. The fourth goal finally arrived in the 78th minute when a Southampton corner was poorly executed, allowing Chelsea to counterattack.
Malo Gusto surged down the right flank and found Tyrique George inside the box, who smartly teed up Cucurella. The Spanish full-back showed composure, shifting the ball onto his left foot before slotting it into the bottom corner to complete the rout.
Cole Palmer, who had been influential throughout, was unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet. His curling free-kick in stoppage time was brilliantly saved by Ramsdale, capping off a frustrating evening in front of goal for the young forward.