Chelsea back to winning ways with 3-0 win at Southamptom

By Joshua Walters 

Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea got back to winning ways with an easy 3-0 win over Southampton at the St Mary's Stadium on Sunday.

The win represents the Blues’ first in three games after 1-1 draw with Liverpool at the Stamford Bridge and a goalless draw game at West Ham.

But of more essence was that Hazard’s 30th-minute opener puts the Belgian at the top of the Goal King chart with seven goals, two more than Machester City’s Sergio Aguero, Tottehman Hotspurs’ Harry Kane, Fulham’s Mitrovic and Brighton’s Glenn Murray.

Chelsea’s second goal was also the first for the scorer, Ross Barkley, since his arrival in the January transfer window, while Morata also scored his second Premier League goal this season and his third in all competitions this term with his side’s third. 

The win takes the Blues to the summit of the league with 20 points, a point, and space above Manchester City and Liverpool who occupies the second and third positions respectively ahead of their top-of-the-table clash at the Anfield on Sunday afternoon.

Willian struck a shot from the inside of the penalty box in the 8th minute, but his effort was deflected on to the post, 20 minutes before Ryan Bertrand found Danny Ings, inside the box, with a nice lofted pass, only for the striker to balloon a shot high over the bar.

But Chelsea would open the score-line on the half-hour mark with Ross Barkley teeing up Eden Hazard inside the box, for the Belgian to curl the ball into the right side of the net and past Alex McCarthy.

Both teams failed to test each others’ resolve, before the 57 minutes when Ross Barkley put Chelsea two goals in front with a simple tap-in from inside the six-yard box.  

Olivier Giroud displayed great vision and send a side-bend-rolling pass to Ross Barkley (Chelsea), who showed brilliant composure to bury the ball in the back of the net.

Southampton’s Nathan Redmond fired a shot nicely, on goal, from distance towards the roof of the net in the 80th minute, while Kepa Arrizabalaga produced a wonderful piece of goalkeeping to parry the ball onto the bar.

A snapshot by Danny Ings, from the edge of the area four minutes later, flew towards the top right corner, but Kepa Arrizabalaga produced a good reflex save to thwart him, and Alvaro Morata changed the script from comfortable win to an easy win when he made it three deep into injury time.

Eden Hazard found Alvaro Morata inside the box, he spotted goalkeeper Alex McCarthy off his line and chipped the ball into the net.