Chelsea delivered a dominant performance to secure a 5-1 victory over struggling Southampton on Wednesday, capitalizing on Jack Stephens’ first-half red card for a hair-pull on Marc Cucurella.
The Blues opened the scoring early through Axel Disasi’s header, but Southampton briefly fought back as Joe Aribo equalized just four minutes later. A mistake by the Southampton goalkeeper gifted Christopher Nkunku an easy finish to restore Chelsea’s lead within six minutes.
Noni Madueke made it 3-1 before halftime, and Stephens’ dismissal left the hosts facing an uphill battle. Despite their numerical advantage, Chelsea had to wait until the 76th minute for Cole Palmer to add a fourth. Jadon Sancho completed the rout with a late strike, sealing an emphatic win.
The victory moves Chelsea to second place in the Premier League table with 28 points, seven behind leaders Liverpool. Southampton remains rooted at the bottom with just five points, as their struggles in the top flight continue.
