Report: Saints beaten by first-half flurry

The visitors started the game well enough, but after Aaron Ramsdale made a fine save to deny Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku was in the right place to head home the resulting corner in the 24th minute.

Chelsea keeper Filip Jörgensen then matched Ramsdale in keeping out Paul Onuachu’s header in similarly improbable fashion, and Saints quickly found themselves 2-0 down when Nkunku set up Pedro Neto to double the lead.

When Levi Colwill headed a third on the stroke of half time, a less eventful second period followed, though Marc Cucurella did add Chelsea’s fourth with 12 minutes left, condemning Saints to back-to-back 4-0 defeats.

Ivan Jurić made five changes to his side following Saturday’s home defeat to Brighton, including a recall for Flynn Downes, who was back in the team for the first time since mid-January.

Armel Bella-Kotchap made his first Saints start since May 2023 at the heart of the back five, having played the vast majority of the Brighton match as an early substitute for the injured Jan Bednarek.

Elsewhere, Yukinari Sugawara, Will Smallbone and Onuachu returned, as Welington, Tyler Dibling and Cameron Archer dropped to the bench, while on-loan midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu was ineligible against his parent club.

Saints were back on the road for the first time since winning at Ipswich at the start of the month, and began the game brightly.

Kamaldeen Sulemana tested out the legs of Tosin Adarabioyo in a footrace, before the defender got a crucial touch on a James Bree cross to prevent a free header for Onuachu at the far post.

When Saints had to defend, Bella-Kotchap was in the right place to make a timely tackle on Neto and Downes slid in to dispossess Cucurella in the area, while Jadon Sancho fizzed a vicious ball across the six-yard box.

Around 3,000 Saints fans filled the away end at Stamford Bridge

Saints were sharp into the tackle when Bree was first to a 50/50 and Smallbone fed Onuachu, but his finish was wayward as he went for power towards the near post.

There was an early injury scare when Bella-Kotchap was writhing on the turf following a collision with Neto, but the German picked himself back up to steal the ball from Palmer with the England star poised to shoot.

Palmer did shoot twice in quick succession midway through the half, but his radar was off when he curled one a couple of yards wide, before Ramsdale stood up to make a brilliant one-on-one save when Palmer looked certain to open the scoring.

But the reprieve would be short-lived, as Enzo Fernández delivered the resulting corner that was flicked on by Tosin and bravely converted at the far post by the diving Nkunku, who propelled himself ahead of Smallbone to head home, knowing he would collide with Ramsdale in the process.

Saints still had reason to be encouraged by their start to the game, and threatened to draw level when Kamaldeen crossed from the byline for Onuachu, six yards out, who thought he had scored when he headed towards the open side of the goal, only for keeper Jörgensen to launch himself to his left to claw the ball out.

Saints were nearly punished for that missed opportunity when Palmer found himself free in the box, but his toe poke across goal neither found the far corner or the incoming Enzo, and rolled apologetically wide.

Having survived a scare, Saints shot themselves in the foot when Downes’s loose pass was picked off by Cucurella and Chelsea were ruthless, as Nkunku added an assist to his goal by picking out Neto’s run on the outside, inviting the winger to rifle a left-footed shot inside Ramsdale’s near post.

Things got worse before half time, as Neto delivered a free-kick from the left that Colwill rose to meet and power home with a header from six yards that all felt far too simple.

It took a last-ditch tackle from Kyle Walker-Peters on Sancho to prevent a possible fourth after Saints played their way into trouble on the edge of their own penalty area, as a first half that initially showed some promise descended into a nightmare.

Flynn Downes was back in the Saints starting line-up after a five-match absence

Jurić made a half-time change in bringing back Taylor Harwood-Bellis from injury after the defender missed the past three matches, replacing James Bree at the interval.

Chelsea remained goal-hungry at the start of the second period, as Nkunku forced an early save from Ramsdale, albeit a routine tip over above his head, while Palmer lashed one over as his six-game goal drought threatened to extend to seven.

A double substitution followed just shy of the hour, as Ryan Manning and Tyler Dibling were introduced for Walker-Peters and Onuachu, with Dibling playing at Stamford Bridge for the first time following a brief spell with Chelsea as a youngster.

There were a couple of Chelsea chances that were squandered as the hosts continued to attack with menace, albeit less frequently.

Neto got his feet in a tangle when played through by Sancho, while young substitute Tyrique George shot wildly off target when he perhaps got a little too excited when slipped in by Enzo.

When Manning’s shot was blocked with Saints pushing for a goal back, Chelsea countered at pace and George pulled the ball back for Cucurella to sweep in Chelsea’s fourth, and that was the way it finished as Ramsdale made a trio of late saves to prevent further punishment.

Southampton: Ramsdale (c), Sugawara (Welington 90), Bree (Harwood-Bellis 45), Bella-Kotchap, Aribo, Walker-Peters (Manning 59), Downes (Archer 83), Smallbone, Fernandes, Kamaldeen, Onuachu (Dibling 59).

Unused substitutes: McCarthy, Wood, Stephens, Grønbæk.

Booked: Onuachu, Manning.

Chelsea: Jörgensen, Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo (Amougou 83), Enzo (c) (Mhueka 90), Neto (George 68), Palmer, Sancho (Dewsbury-Hall 68), Nkunku (Acheampong 83).

Unused substitutes: Sánchez, Fofana, James, Samuels-Smith.

Goals: Nkunku (24’), Neto (36’), Colwill (44’), Cucurella (78’).

Booked: Caicedo.

Referee: Thomas Bramall.

Attendance: 39,485.