Chelsea maintained their impressive Premier League form with a commanding 5-1 victory over Southampton at St Mary’s.
Enzo Maresca’s side sits second in the league, having lost only to Manchester City and Liverpool in 14 matches. Chelsea’s 31 goals make them the division’s top scorers this season.
Southampton briefly threatened with Joe Aribo canceling out Axel Disasi’s early goal, but Chelsea took full control.
Christopher Nkunku, starting in a rare Premier League outing, restored the lead, followed by a third from Noni Madueke.
Southampton’s fortunes took a further blow when Jack Stephens was sent off for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair, leaving them a man down before halftime. Chelsea capitalized, adding goals from Cole Palmer and Jadon Sancho, who scored his first goal since joining from Manchester United.
Jamie Carragher’s Bold Prediction
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, speaking on The Overlap, expressed his confidence in Chelsea’s ability to outperform Manchester City this season.
“I’m telling you, Chelsea are going to finish above Man City. The way they played against Arsenal and Liverpool shows they’re a force.”
While he acknowledged Liverpool’s strengths, Carragher praised Chelsea’s ability to win games decisively, despite being in a transitional season under Maresca.
Manchester City’s Struggles
Defending champions Manchester City, currently fourth in the table, have struggled in recent weeks, suffering four consecutive defeats before beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 on Wednesday.
Former City player Gael Clichy remains optimistic about the team’s prospects.
“As long as mathematically it is not over, you cannot count Man City out. With their history of dominance, they will be in the mix once their injured players return.”
A Competitive Premier League Season
Chelsea’s resurgence and Manchester City’s struggles underscore the unpredictability of this season’s Premier League race. Liverpool and Arsenal also remain strong contenders as Chelsea continue their march under Maresca’s guidance.