Chelsea cruised to a 4-0 victory against bottom-placed Southampton in the Premier League to keep up their strong record against teams at the foot of the table, winning 12 of 15 such matches.
The hosts dominated from early on, finding the breakthrough in the first half when a header from Tosin Adarabioyo dropped nicely for Christopher Nkunku, who had a simple task of putting the ball in the back of the net.
Southampton had a fleeting opportunity of their own as Paul Onuachu found space in the box to direct a header at goal but he was denied by Filip Jörgensen. Pedro Neto slotted home well on an underlapping run to double Chelsea’s lead in short order. Neto was involved again when he floated over a perfect set-piece for Levi Colwill to nod home his first of the season, which sent Chelsea into the break with an appetizing 3-0 advantage.
The Blues continued to dominate after the break, however wasted a number of opportunities to double their lead. Enzo Fernández set up chances for Nkunku and Cole Palmer, but neither was able to convert. Palmer snatched at one and shot over the bar, Neto lost control in a good position.
Chelsea finally sealed their resounding win in the 78th minute when substitute Tyrique George teed up Marc Cucurella to finish coolly. A late cameo from 17-year-old Shim Mheuka capped a perfect night for Chelsea who momentarily climbed back into the top four.
Another drubbing by Chelsea — they have shipped nine goals to the club across two league meetings this season — also did little for Southampton’s already poor goal difference. They stay glued to the bottom with only nine points, 13 from safety.
