Southampton 1-4 Chelsea: Blues climb to fifth after comfortable win
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By Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport
Tammy Abraham scored his eighth league goal of the season as in-form Chelsea drifted apart Southampton at St Marys to climb to fifth in the Premier League.
After Abrahams looping finish from Callum Hudson-Odois pass was adjudged to have crossed the line before the intervention of Mayas Yoshida chelsea dominated from the beginning and took the lead.
Mason Mount doubled the Blues lead before Danny Ings poked home Yan Valerys cut-back to decrease the arrears.
The people restored their two-goal advantage five minutes prior to half-time, NGolo Kantes strike from the edge of this area taking a wicked deflection off Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in its way beyond Angus Gunn.
Two substitutes combined to set up Michy Batshuayi slotting house Christian Pulisics through-ball to put the seal on a success for Frank Lampards side, Chelseas fourth.
The result leaves struggling Southampton at 16th place – just 1 point above the relegation zone.
After a stuttering start to the effort, there are indications that this young Chelsea side are starting to build up a head of steam .
This was the Blues fourth consecutive win in all competitions – a result which lifts them level on points with fourth-placed Leicester City and just two supporting champions Manchester City, who lost 2-0 at home .
Youngsters Abraham and Mount have accepted the top flight by storm after spending last year on loan at Aston Villa and Derby County respectively, and the duo were heavily affected here since the visitors raced into an early lead.
Hudson-Odoi delivered a ball before the ball could clear to safety, and Abraham was first his inaugural finish over Gunn to it crossing on the line.
Chelsea capitalised on a bad piece of Southampton protecting to twice their lead seven minutes later, Mount latching to the precise pass of Willian before slamming home his fourth league goal of the campaign.
There appeared to be no way back for the Saints at that stage as Chelsea continued to lay siege to the home target, however Ralph Hasenhuttls side pulled a goal out of nothing if Valery wriggled his way past a few Blues defenders before putting up Ings, that had been left with a simple finish.
There was an element of luck on Chelseas third – Kante drive off Hojbjerg and wrong-footing Gunn – however, the people that are dominant could have won with a margin that is higher.
Hudson-Odoi had been blindsided by Gunn four minutes after the restart, whereas Abraham and Willian equally had goal-bound attempts blocked by the border of the area.
Batshuayi completed the scoring in the last minute of regular time, running on to the pass of Pulisic and slotting the ball through the legs of Gunn.
More to follow.
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