Southampton 1-5 Chelsea: Five players score as the visitors secure a big win

A much-changed Chelsea moved seven points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool after a 5-1 thrashing of bottom-side Southampton, who had captain Jack Stephens sent off for pulling Marc Cucurella's hair.

Match Events

The Blues made seven changes for the trip to St Mary's and still produced a fine attacking display that will only increase talk of a potential title challenge this season as they moved second.

Three players brought in - Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke - all scored in the first half.

Disasi's seventh-minute header was, however, quickly cancelled out just four minutes later as Joe Aribo swept home past Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, who made his Premier League debut.

But Southampton's mistake-laden season continued as goalkeeper Joe Lumley's sloppy pass was cut out by Madueke who set up Nkunku to roll into an empty net in the 17th minute - a ninth Saints error leading to a goal in the Premier League this season.

Madueke then curled in a third in the 34th minute before Saints' night went from bad to worse five minutes later as skipper Stephens pulled Cucurella's hair at a Saints corner and was sent off for violent conduct following a VAR review at the pitchside monitor.

Chelsea then completely dominated proceedings and finally added a fourth through Cole Palmer's 77th-minute tap-in.

Substitute Jadon Sancho added a late fifth for his first Chelsea goal as Enzo Maresca's side made it seven games unbeaten in all competitions and next go to London rivals Tottenham on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.

Southampton, meanwhile, are now seven points adrift from safety.

0' The match is about to start!

2' Big save for Jorgensen who gets down well to deny Aribo from very close range

7' Disasi's header from Enzo's corner opens the socring! Southampton 0-1 Chelsea

10' Kyle turns past Enzo and Aribo has a finish to level! Southampton 1-1 Chelsea

17' Nkunku scores into open net to put Blues in front again! Southampton 1-2 Chelsea

22' Joao Felix drives to the edge of the box, but drags his shot wide

34' Madueke cuts inside and curls one into the far corner! Southampton 1-3 Chelsea

36' Chelsea want a fourth before half-time as Christopher Nkunku heads narrowly over

40' Red Card! Stephens gets sent off for pulling Cucurella's hair

45' Nkunku gets down in the box but the referee says no penalty

46' Palmer finds Joao Felix who heads wide from a few yards out

53' CLOSE! Adarabioyo in the Southampton box cannons a shot off the post

55' Palmer's shot is parried by Joe Lumley and Madueke blasts the rebound wide

60' Mateus Fernandes forces Filip Jorgensen into a brilliant save with his feet

66' Madueke's volley is kept out by the right boot of Joe Lumley

72' Madueke makes way for Sancho

76' Nkunku's shot trickles past keeper and Palmer taps in! Southampton 1-4 Chelsea

87' Jadon Sancho has his first goal for Chelsea! Southampton 1-5 Chelsea

94' Match Event for Southampton vs Chelsea

Line-ups

Southampton XI: Stephens, Fraser, Ryan Manning, Adam Armstrong, Joe Lumley, James Bree, Joe Aribo, Walker-Peters, Nathan Wood, Cameron Archer, Mateus Fernandes

Subs: McCarthy, Taylor, Cornet, Ben Brereton Díaz, Yukinari Sugawara, Ronnie Edwards, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Samuel Amo-Ameyaw, Joe O'Brien Whitmarsh

Chelsea XI: T.Adarabioyo, Marc Cucurella, Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Felix, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Filip Jørgensen, Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo, Malo Gusto

Subs: Sancho, Robert Sánchez, Pedro Neto, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Benoît Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Roméo Lavia, Nicolas Jackson, Renato Veiga