Chelsea 4 Southampton 0 LIVE RESULT: Blues run Saints riot in four-goal haul plus THREE OTHER PREM games as Villa lose
CHELSEA run four-goal riot on relegation-doomed Southampton as they get back on track in their quest for Champions League football.
The Blues scored three in twenty minutes as Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Levi Colwill all got in on the act. With less than 15 minutes to go, Marc Cucurella would add to the Blues controlled performance scoring with a tucked-away finish of his own.
Elsewhere, Crystal Palace put FOUR past Aston Villa as goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta, Eddie Nketiah and Ismaïla Sarr double put a dent in the visitors' Champions League hopes.
Brighton withstood a Bournemouth comeback as Justin Kluivert's stunner was sandwiched by Joao Pedro's penalty and substitute Danny Welbeck's winner.
Fulham bounced back from weekend defeat to edge past Wolves in the Midlands and keep their European dreams alive.
- Chelsea team: Jorgensen; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo; Palmer, Sancho, Neto; Nkunku.
- Southampton team: Ramsdale; Sugawara, Bree, Bella-Kotchap, Walker-Peters; Downes, Smallbone, Fernandes, Aribo, Kamaldeen; Onuachu
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Action-packed evening as ever
It has been a night of big results as Chelsea leapfrog Man City to move into fourth place in the table.
Meanwhile, Brighton move level on points with Bournnemouth after beatig The Cherries in a south-coast derby.
Fulham's win at Wolves moved them above Aston Villa as they forced their way into the top ten.
Unai Emery's side got well-beaten at Crystal Palace leaving them a sorry tenth place in the table.
Not long to wait for more action, we do it all again tomorrow.
Chelsea needing to find form and consistency
Having moved into fourth spot in the table, The Blues will feel they are in a good position to continue challenge for the coveted Champions League qualification.
The sides beneath them still have to play but at this stage of the season, points on the board matter most.
They have a couple of big London derbies in the pipeline which will offer a tough test for Maresca and his players.
Boss chats with pundits pitchside
Speaking with BT Sports after the match, he addressed tonight's victory, Nkunku's performance and the bad run they have been on:
We all need that. We were in a bad run, bad performance, the club needs that. In this moment we have 5/6/7 important injuries. We try different solutions. I am happy with him, I know he can give more, we expect more from him. In this month and a half, I push even more to believe in that, it is normal to go through these bad moments. The priority for us is bring this club to where it needs to be, which is the Champions League.
Enzo Maresca
Saints looking for divine intervention
It has been a tough reintroduction to the Premier League for Southampton this season.
Their squad seems to have a distinct lack of quality players capable of mixing it up at this level.
That is just how great the gulf is now between the Championship and the Premier League that sides who come up cannot seem to fathom.
It would certainly take a miracle now for them to avoid the drop.
Spaniard receives man of the match award
Marc Cucurella was award the BT Sports man of the match accolade for Chelsea this evening.
He was constantly getting forward, looking to offer himself as an option in the box.
Grabbing a goal in the second-half, it topped off an impressive display by the full-back.
Cole struggling to find his mojo
Despite their emphatic victory, Cole Palmer seemed a bit dejected with his run out this evening.
The young attacker had his fair share of the ball this evening but just could not find himself a goal.
This will be a big test on his football journey, how to turn things around when form dips as it has of late.
Credit: Getty FT: Chelsea 4-0 Southampton
A convincing win for The Blues in front of their own fans this evening.
They struggled to create clear-cut chances for the first 30 minutes or so, but once they got their goal, they did not look back.
This will do their confidence some good going into the business end of the season.
Goal for the soon-to-be birthday boy
After grabbing a goal today, Colwill talked to BT Sport about Nkunu, Palmer and youngster George who came on for a second-half cameo:
Yeh definitely, the reaction we needed. I know how much he wants it, I know how much he cares. Today he dug deep and got his goal. Yeh he's a brilliant player, maybe he's a playing out of position a bit but someone like Cole can do that. He done really well today, he's sharp, I'm really pleased for him.
Levi ColwillView from SunSport's Andy Dillon at Stamford Bridge
Maybe that will blow away a few cobwebs for Chelsea?
After a slightly nervy start they calmly suffocated Southampton and put the game to bed early.
It's not Chelsea are back but perhaps they have turned a corner.
FT: Chelsea 4-0 Southampton
The referee brings the game to a close.
Chelsea move into fourth place in the Premier League table.
The visitors seemed to fold in this game as soon as that second goal went it.
Chelsea 4-0 Southampton
90+3. When sides look this far out of their depth in the Premier League, there should be an automatic ban attached to their relegation.
The same would have been applied to Burnley and Sheff Utd last season also.
Two year ban from coming back up to this level sounds fair.
Let them sort themselves out first.
Chelsea 4-0 Southampton
90+4. We are going to have four added minutes to the game.
Palmer is stood over a free-kick, just outside the box, and looks to bend one in the far corner.
Ramsdale gets across his goal well to beat it away.
Chelsea 4-0 Southampton
87. This is an emphatic win for The Blues without really trying.
You would expect the fans to go home this evening bubbling after a big win at home.
However, anyone with a bit about them realises that Southampton are the only team in this league it would happen against.
Mhueka replaces Fernandez for the hosts.
Chelsea 4-0 Southampton
83. More changes from Enzo Maresca.
Acheampong and Amougou come on for The Blues.
They replace Nkunku and Caicedo.
View from SunSport's Andy Dillon at Stamford Bridge
Fair play to the Southampton fans.
Singing away as they slide back to The Championship.
Still no noise from the Chelsea boys.
Maybe they are too shocked to see their team in such control and have been struck dumb.
Chelsea 4-0 Southampton
78. Not content with making it his life ambition to kill Bart Simpson, now he is scoring goals for Chelsea.
George does well to get to the byline and cut it back to find Cucurella in space in the middle.
He whips a left-footed cross into the bottom corner to add to Southampton's woes.
Goal - Marc Cucurella (Chelsea)
Chelsea 3-0 Southampton
77. There just seems no hunger in this Southampton side.
Aribo does brilliantly out wide as he mugs off Gusto, making him look like a competition winner.
As the midfielder drives towards the box, he is literally the only player in a yellow shirt in the final third.
Chelsea 3-0 Southampton
74. Palmer has plenty of the ball this evening but has not looked like the player we are used to seeing.
He is usually such a danger and looks capable of scoring whenever he comes forward.
It has all gone a bit quiet in the stadium. Chelsea could do with another goal to get these fans going again.
Credit: Reuters Chelsea 3-0 Southampton
71. Dewsbury-Hall and George are brought on for the hosts.
They replace Sancho and Neto.
It has really been a quiet affair in this second-half, not one for the Premier League showreels, that is for sure.
Chelsea 3-0 Southampton
66. Caicedo is shown a yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Fernandes in the middle of the park.
Considering he is a defensive midfielder, he cannot tackle at all.
Manning clips a cross into the box but it is headed into the stands by Bella-Kotchap .
Credit: Reuters
Chelsea 3-0 Southampton
63. Sancho drives through the middle and threads it into the feet of Neto in the box.
He shows the first-touch of a serial killer as he knocks it out for a goal kick.
Dreadful stuff from the former Wolves winger.
Chelsea 3-0 Southampton
60. Southampton bring Dibling on to try and make something happen in this second-half.
When The Saints' relegation is mathematically confirmed, you would expect some bids to come in for the youngster.
That said, he wouldn't start for whoever buys him, if you cannot get in this Southampton line-up its unlikely you would elsewhere.
One for the future though.
View from SunSport's Graham Hill at Molineux
Fulham killed the game after Rodrio Muniz's goal a minute into the second half, although Wolves keeper Jose Sa did well to stop sub Raul Jimenez scoring against his former club.
Marco Silva's team still have a chance of getting into Europe - but now their focus switches to Sunday's FA Cup tie at Manchester United.
Ryan Sessegnon will be pleased to be back on the scoresheet again after a gap of two and a half years - he scored after just 60 seconds.
Joao Gomez gave Wolves hope of taking something from the game - but this defeat means Vitor Pereira's side are still not out of the woods in terms when it comes to escaping the drop.
Premie League full-time scores
Here is how the other games have finished this evening:
Brighton 2-1 Bournemouth
Crystal Palace 4-1 Aston Villa
Wolves 1-2 Fulham
