Chelsea secured their third consecutive league triumph with a commanding 5-1 victory over Southampton away from home. The London club showcased growing consistency and climbed to second place in the standings, trailing league leaders Liverpool by seven points.
Chelsea's xG total against Southampton was the highest ever recorded by a team in an away Premier League game since @OptaJoe records began in 2008/09.
5.29xG and five goals. ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/HNGMzu7GrP
— Squawka (@Squawka) December 4, 2024
Axel Disasi opened the scoring in the 7th minute, taking advantage of Southampton’s defensive lapse. Southampton briefly fought back as Joe Aribo equalized soon after, but Chelsea quickly regained the lead through Christopher Nkunku in the 17th minute, while Noni Madueke added another to make the score 3-1 in the 34th minute. The Saints’ troubles worsened in the 39th minute when Jack Stephens was sent off, leaving the home side with 10 men for the remainder of the game.
The second half saw Chelsea capitalize further on Southampton’s defensive frailties. Cole Palmer scored in the 76th minute, and substitute Jadon Sancho scored his first goal for the club shortly before the final whistle, rounding off the emphatic victory.
Following the defeat, Southampton remains at the bottom of the standings with just 5 points, trailing the safety zone by 7 points. Chelsea, on the other hand, have been in their best ever form in front of the goal, scoring 57 goals in 22 matches across all competitions this season, achieving their best-ever goals-per-game ratio of 2.6.