Chelsea were in dire need of a win. Following three straight defeats, Enzo Maresca's side took to the pitch with the weight of heavy pressure on them, having realized that any failure against struggling Southampton would further place the team's precariousness in the spotlight. But with everything going according to plan on the night, the Blues showed no quarter, recording a 4-0 win and securing three valuable points that got them back in the Premier League's top four.
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Total dominance and a confidence boost
From the word go, Chelsea demonstrated that they weren't here to mess about, swamping Southampton with cerebral ball distribution, pinpoint passing, and a co-ordinated play that had eluded them for quite a while.
The stalemate was finally ended a little before halfway through the opening half as Christopher Nkunku nodded into an empty goal after cutting out a cross with confidence. The Blues took care of things for the remainder of the match once that occurred. Pedro Neto, impressing in his centre-forward spot thus far, got Chelsea a double advantage by lashing the ball home precisely with a left footer. Afterward, Levi Colwill before half-time ensured with a thudding header virtually took the contest out of contest's range.
The fourth, in the early stages of the second half, was a display of the team's growing confidence. One of Chelsea's bright young academy stars, Tyrique George, provided a perfect assist for Marc Cucurella to score to put the icing on the one-sided show.
In addition to the four objectives, Chelsea controlled the game from start to finish, parking Southampton in their own penalty area and making the game resemble training.
The tireless playmaker
If one player who never stops hunting the goal, then it has to be Cole Palmer. While at Southampton, he tried absolutely everything, wayward long shots, quick interchanging passes, deep runs in the box, and even an attacking free kick. The no. 20 did not get the goals himself, but was a vital component in Chelsea's offense, setting the tempo, as well as the link from the midfielders to the forward line.
He agonizingly close to scoring with a low-driven shot that just missed the target. Next, there was another golden opportunity, but the ball simply would not go in. Even without scoring, Palmer was one of the standout performers, always creating space and injecting pace into the attack.
The impact of the victory and the battle for the summit
Chelsea did not just need a win, they needed to make a point, and that is exactly what they did. With 46 points on the board, the Blues have climbed back into fourth place and are firmly in contention for a Champions League spot.
Head coach Enzo Maresca emphasized the importance of this victory: "It was important because from now on, each match is crucial. We're happy with the three points, knowing that if we win, we're still there up top, but if we lose, we're down. Managing our emotions until the final is the most important aspect."
Maresca also pointed out that despite the slump, the team is still in good position: "I just told the players that even in our worst performance-wise, we're still fourth and only one point behind third. That says a lot about how well we played in the first half of the season. Now, it's just about finishing strong."
This victory could turn around the fortunes of Chelsea, but is the question here whether they can sustain this level of intensity throughout the rest of the games or was this a stroke of genius against the worst team in the league?