Mason Mount and Timo Werner stood out as Chelsea ran riot against Southampton with a 6-0 win at St. Mary’s on Saturday.
Chelsea made a blistering start to the proceedings, with Timo Werner smashing the woodwork just two minutes into the game. But the Blues grabbed a deserved lead in the eighth minute when Marcos Alonso finished a delightful move after receiving the ball from Mason Mount.
Mount got on to the score sheet shortly after, converting a brilliant half-volley to double Chelsea’s advantage. Werner finally had his goal midway through the first half before playing his part in Kai Havertz’s strike in the 37th minute. Chelsea could have easily been six up at half-time if not for Fraser Forster, with the Englishman denying Havertz and Werner with wondrous saves.
But Forster could not do anything for the two quick goals that Chelsea scored after the break, with Werner and Mount doubling their respective tallies for the evening with close-range strikes. After scoring half a dozen goals, Chelsea lifted the foot off the pedal, giving Southampton a reprieve.
Edouard Mendy also got in on the act, making a big save to deny Che Adams and keep a much-needed clean sheet. In the end, Chelsea completed a 6-0 win that should give them some momentum ahead of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid next week. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Thomas Tuchel’s charges.
? “A deserved win.”
Thomas Tuchel was delighted with the performance from Chelsea as they beat Southampton 6-0. ? pic.twitter.com/aydrTwjG24
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 9, 2022
Edouard Mendy: 9/10
Mendy ended a dreadful week with a much-needed clean sheet, making one big save to deny Che Adams from point-blank range. The Senegalese goalkeeper adopted a no-nonsense approach after his error on Wednesday, completing all his attempted passes.
Andreas Christensen: 8/10
Christensen was much improved after leaving a lot to be desired against Real Madrid. The Dane held his ground well on the right side of the Chelsea defence, completing five clearances and four tackles while winning a whopping 11 duels.
Thiago Silva: 8/10
After a sub-par performance earlier this week, Silva was back to his best, keeping Chelsea on top of Southampton throughout his stint on the pitch and hardly putting a foot wrong. The veteran Brazilian completed 96 per cent of his attempted passes while opening up play nicely with several long balls.
Antonio Rudiger: 8/10
Rudiger was a colossal presence at the back for Chelsea, keeping Che Adams quiet for the most part. The German international also took the initiative and charged into the opposition half, with Chelsea in control throughout the game. That was a good warm-up for the challenge to come next week.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek: 8/10
??????? Ruben Loftus-Cheek at RWB against Southampton:
? 68 Touches
? 37 Passes
? 88% Pass Accuracy
? 2 Chances Created
? 5/6 Aerial Duels
? 7/10 Ground Duels
? 6 Fouls Suffered
? 2 Tackles
? 1 Clearance
? 1 Interception
? 1 Blocked ShotRLC at RWB unlocked. #CFC #SouChe pic.twitter.com/1oiDqi2Gle
— Mozo Football (@MozoFootball) April 9, 2022
Tuchel’s experiments with Loftus-Cheek continued on Saturday, with the English international deployed as a right wing-back. The Chelsea academy graduate had some issues getting used to the challenges of the role but largely came through unscathed, apart from one moment when Mendy bailed him out by denying Adams. He was a constant outlet in the final third and played the pass that ricocheted towards Mason Mount for Chelsea’s second.
N’Golo Kante: 9/10
After an uncharacteristically sub-par performance against Real Madrid, Kante went back to the drawing board and produced a typically assertive display. The French international was a bundle of energy and never stopped running, showing why he had the captain’s armband on Saturday. Kante had his part to play in Timo Werner’s second goal, with Fraser Forster denying him before the German struck.
Mateo Kovacic: 9/10
Kovacic showed what Chelsea missed in the last two defeats, as his disruptive presence took Southampton out of the game. The Croat was the reason Chelsea dominated the proceedings throughout the match and completed 90 per cent of his attempted passes while also creating two chances. He deserves to start against Real Madrid.
Marcos Alonso: 9/10
Southampton vs Chelsea: (key passes)
? Marcos Alonso: (5)
? Southampton's XI: (4)Is another 9-0 on the cards? ?⚽️ pic.twitter.com/y4OwbR6NA9
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) April 9, 2022
It is not every day that Alonso dazzles on the pitch for Chelsea. But the Spanish international threw his name into the hat to start against Real Madrid with a top-notch performance, which included a goal that started the rout before playing his part in more strikes.
Alonso was a constant outlet on the left flank in the final third, and this was the performance level that has been sorely missing for a long time. He played a game-high five key passes and will hope to have done enough to start in the crucial Champions League clash.
Mason Mount: 10/10
Mount was the Player to Watch in our preview and produced a performance worthy of being called Chelsea’s talisman. The English international ran the show from the word go and set up Alonso with a brilliant no-look flick.
?Mason Mount v Southampton
Goals ⚽️⚽️
Assists ?️Career best for goals (10) and assists (8) in a @premierleague season ? ? pic.twitter.com/D3hilPVnuw
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) April 9, 2022
Mount opened up play majestically in the build-up to his first strike before completing his brace from close range in the second half. Chelsea and Tuchel need him in this form on Tuesday to inspire them to what seems like an unthinkable comeback.
Kai Havertz: 9/10
Havertz was on the pitch only for the first half, but he made his mark on the game, scoring into the open net to continue his superb run of form. The German international completed a brace before going off at half-time, but Forster denied him his second goal just before the break. He even played two key passes and will be a vital player against Real Madrid.
Timo Werner: 10/10
Saturday’s game was just the kind of outing Werner needed to get some confidence back amid what has been a tough season for him. The German international could have had an 18-minute hat-trick but will be happy with the brace.
Werner hit the woodwork thrice, while Forster denied him brilliantly on two occasions. He did not make any errors converting his close-range openings, and the awareness and run for his first strike was supreme.
Timo Werner has scored more goals vs Southampton (5) than against every other PL club combined (4)
⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ vs Southampton.
⚽️ vs Burnley
⚽️ vs Newcastle
⚽️ vs Sheffield United
⚽️ vs West Ham56% of his PL goals…??? pic.twitter.com/p5uFgP4yKG
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) April 9, 2022
SUBSTITUTES
Christian Pulisic: 8/10
Pulisic made amends with a solid cameo off the bench, playing his part in Chelsea’s final goal, as he came close to scoring before Mount doubled his tally for the evening from close range.
Reece James: 8/10
James got the game’s final quarter to get some rhythm back ahead of the big Champions League clash next week. And the English international was in full flow, linking up play superbly while completing some defensive tasks diligently.
Hakim Ziyech: 8/10
Ziyech looked in his element after replacing Mount for the final 20 minutes, creating a couple of chances while misplacing just one pass. He could be an option for Chelsea against Real Madrid on Tuesday.
