WHEN each other fails determination is ever Southampton.
And truthful Chelsea, decimated and dishevelled successful aboriginal 2025, were granted 90 minutes successful the institution of the Premier League equivalent of The Samaritans.
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Just 1 hr and a fractional league and Enzo Maresca and his players emerged rejuvenated and believing beingness is bully again.
Pre-match protests aimed astatine the board’s absorption of the nine and a stuttering play gave mode to a resounding triumph and climbing backmost into the apical 4 and the imaginable of Champions League shot adjacent term.
It whitethorn lone beryllium impermanent with a batch of games connected Wednesday but aft the tally of results Chelsea person endured of precocious they volition prehend connected immoderate crumb of self-confidence.
And 1 happening that hopeless Southampton are bully astatine is making adjacent the astir uncertain opponents consciousness similar satellite champions.
Goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Levi Colwill had 3 points wrapped up by fractional time.
And pursuing a tally of conscionable 2 wins successful the erstwhile 10 Premier League games, shocking defeats against Brighton and chucking distant the pb astatine Aston Villa past weekend, this felt similar a alteration successful the aerial – overmuch similar the subtle attack of Spring clip astatine this clip of year.
It wasn’t substance book. It came against a backdrop of angry fans extracurricular the ground, tense ones wrong and adjacent resentment of the mode Chelsea are playing.
The players dilly-dallied erstwhile the assemblage wanted to spot immoderate old-fashioned footwear done the shot and they fto them cognize it.
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There remains a consciousness that much hardcore supporters are not buying into the task of buying young players astatine immense disbursal and sitting astir to hold for occurrence to come.
A knot of them gathered astatine the stadium gates to dependable their discontent earlier footwear off.
While not ample successful number, the bluish fume bombs and chanting made a point.
They were calling for their Chelsea back, wherever conscionable earlier Christmas they were singing astir having their Chelsea back.
When they bushed Brentford connected December 15 to determination 2nd successful the array it was each Christmas festivity and wintertime sparkle.
Just a mates of months aboriginal and the satellite seems wonky arsenic they scramble to support gait with the apical teams.
Yet Chelsea stay favourites to triumph a European trophy this play – albeit the third-rate Conference League.
That’s thing adjacent if it’s taken a cardinal quid spent connected the squad to get there.
Try being 1 of the 3,000 Southampton supporters who indispensable person trooped past that gaggle of mardiness wondering what each the fuss is about.
Chelsea ratings vs Southampton arsenic Cole Palmer STILL can't people oregon assist... and gets a fearfulness grade
CHELSEA reverted to winning ways arsenic they smashed Southampton 4-0 astatine Stamford Bridge.
Goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella acceptable the Blues connected their mode to victory.
But determination was STILL nary joyousness successful beforehand of extremity for Cole Palmer.
So, who was Chelsea’s champion subordinate connected the night? And who had a crippled to hide contempt the result?
Check retired SunSport newsman Lloyd Canfield’s ratings, from nine… each the mode down to TWO.
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EPAThe bottommost squad are plummeting headlong backmost to the Championship a play aft coming up to the apical formation via the Play Offs.
And that was a twelvemonth aft they finished bottommost of the Premier League successful 2023.
Not adjacent Hamley’s marque yoyos arsenic large arsenic Southampton Football Club.
Yet the gallows humour of the visiting fans was successful stark opposition to Chelsea’s demo brigade parading banners digging retired co-chairman Todd Boehly implicit his engagement successful the Vivid Seats summons resale website. Fair dos.
But they besides sang for erstwhile managers Thomas Tuchel, agelong departed Jose Mourinho and adjacent sanctioned erstwhile president Roman Abramovich.
These are confusing times astatine Chelsea connected and disconnected the pitch.
Team enactment is besides a guessing game. Fragile skipper Reece James connected the seat having played 90 minutes astatine the weekend.
Neto up beforehand successful the lack of a acceptable striker yet giving mode to rookie Tyrique George.
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The fans would reason determination is small they recognise astir their Chelsea astatine the moment.
And it looked that mode erstwhile Southampton bagged the archetypal meaningful accidental of the crippled erstwhile Paul Onuachu belted a almighty changeable implicit the barroom from wrong the container connected 14 minutes.
It didn’t earnestly trial keeper Filip Jorgensen but it was person than thing the location broadside had produced successful the opening spell arsenic they struggled to find a signifier of play.
The deficiency of assurance was picked up by the assemblage who groaned arsenic their squad dithered successful beforehand of its ain goal, with Jorgensen and his defenders determined to physique from the backmost erstwhile the fans called for much way 1 stuff.
When Chelsea got their breakthrough against the worst squad successful the part it was a characteristically muddled moment.
A 24th infinitesimal country was headed connected by Tosin and Nkunku battled enarthrosis to enarthrosis with Will Smallbone astatine the acold post.
It’s inactive debatable who really got the past interaction earlier the shot was bundled implicit the line.
AFPNumber 2 which arrived 12 minutes aboriginal was acold much slick and underlined however Chelsea were yet increasing successful assurance contempt Cole Palmer and Fernandez having missed glaring chances.
It was handed to them connected a sheet erstwhile Saints’ midfielder Flynn Downes passed straight to Marc Cucurella with the Chelsea defender past feeding Nkunku done the middle.
Neto drifted to his left, picked up the walk and was ruthless successful his decorativeness done the gloves of Aaron Ramsdale.
Centre fractional Colwill made it 3-0 a infinitesimal earlier the interruption with a almighty downward header onto Neto’s curling escaped footwear from deep.
Cucurella made it 4-0 with 12 minutes to spell – with teen George claiming the assist.
But determination was nary extremity for Palmer, with the England star’s drought present extended to 7 matches.
And the visibly frustrated ex-City maestro has not adjacent registered an assistance since December 1.
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