Chelsea take on Southampton at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League tonight, with the home side looking to restart their challenge for Champions League football.
Enzo Maresca’s side sit seventh ahead of the midweek fixtures, with three defeats in their last five matches meaning they’ve slipped from the second spot they occupied in December. But the Blues are just one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City as it stands, with a win tonight taking them back above the Cityzens, who play Spurs tomorrow.
Chelsea face a struggling Southampton side who have earned just nine points so far this season, with last weekend’s 4-0 defeat to Brighton the latest in a string go bruising results. The Saints are currently 13 points behind 17th-placed Wolves with just 12 games left, and Ivan Juric knows that they need to start picking up points immediately if they’re to have any chance of surviving.
Follow all the latest updates from Stamford Bridge here:
SAVE! Chelsea 3-0 Southampton, 52 mins
Palmer’s cross is blocked out for a corner, which he takes quickly. Short to Fernandez who curls in a cross and Nkunku’s header is on target but Ramsdale does well to tip it over the bar.
The next corner is a more conventional one but Aribo heads clear.
Luke Baker25 February 2025 21:26
Chelsea 3-0 Southampton, 50 mins
Guasto with a good slide tackle in the area to cleanly win the ball and put it out for a corner. He had to get that right.
The corner comes to nothing and Chelsea build from the back.
Luke Baker25 February 2025 21:24
Chelsea 3-0 Southampton, 47 mins
Change at half-time for Southampton as Roy Keane’s future son-in-law Taylor Harwood-Bellis comes on in defence for James Bree.
The highly-rated Harwood-Bellis is just returning from injury
Luke Baker25 February 2025 21:22
KICK-OFF! Chelsea 3-0 Southampton
Second half underway at Stamford Bridge. How many will Chelsea score?
Luke Baker25 February 2025 21:20
WATCH: Colwill makes it 3-0
Here’s that third Chelsea goal from Levi Colwill
Luke Baker25 February 2025 21:12
HALF-TIME! Chelsea 3-0 Southampton
That’s half-time. Once Nkunku broke the deadlock, Chelsea have been on cruise control.
This is a much-needed, ‘get well’ game for the Blues and is properly reigniting their Champions League charge
Luke Baker25 February 2025 21:10
Chelsea 3-0 Southampton, 45+2 mins
Southampton looks shell-shocked here. They might have fancied their chances to springing an upset against a Chelsea side lacking in confidence but it’s over before half-time.
Two minutes of injury time.
Luke Baker25 February 2025 21:04
GOAL! Chelsea 3-0 Southampton (Levi Colwill, 44 mins)
Too easy for Chelsea. Neto curls a free-kick into the box, Levi Colwill attacks it at the back post and heads past Ramsdale.
That wraps up the points for the Blues before half-time
Luke Baker25 February 2025 21:02
WATCH: Neto doubles Chelsea’s lead
Here’s how Pedro Neto made it 2-0 to Chelsea
Luke Baker25 February 2025 21:00
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Southampton (Pedro Neto, 37 mins)
There’s the second goal for Chelsea! Downes gives the ball away, it’s slipped to Nkunku who allows Pedro Neto to make the run off him and finds a pinpoint reverse pass to slip the No 9 in.
It’s a good finish, hard at Ramsdale’s near post and flies in. The Blues in control
Luke Baker25 February 2025 20:55