Southampton captain Jack Stephens was despatched off for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair because the Premier League’s backside membership have been thrashed 5-1 by high-flying Chelsea.

Defender Stephens noticed pink within the thirty ninth minute at St Mary’s, having tugged the curls of Cucurella throughout an inexplicable second of insanity whereas Saints have been getting ready to take a nook.

Chelsea already led 3-1 at that stage because of targets from Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke after Southampton midfielder Joe Aribo briefly cancelled out Axel Disasi’s early opener.

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Second-half finishes from Cole Palmer and Jadon Sancho piled extra distress on Russell Martin’s males.

Stephens’ ridiculous dismissal was the headline mistake of a list of errors from the beleaguered hosts as they slipped seven factors from security following an Eleventh defeat of a dismal season.

Chelsea, who stretched their unbeaten run to 6 top-flight video games, may simply have received by extra as they hit the woodwork 3 times, along with squandering a number of probabilities.

Blues head coach Enzo Maresca had warned his gamers to anticipate their “hardest sport” of the season in Hampshire earlier than making seven modifications following Sunday’s spectacular 3-0 win over Aston Villa.

Blues goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen made his Premier League debut as a part of the squad rotation, whereas depleted Southampton have been lacking a number of key gamers by way of a mix of damage and suspension.

Jorgensen, a £20million summer season arrival from Villarreal, was compelled right into a second-minute save to disclaim Aribo following Walker-Peters’ cross, albeit the latter was subsequently flagged offside.

Chelsea edged forward simply 5 minutes later. Captain Enzo Fernandez delivered a harmful inswinging nook from the left and Disasi escaped the Saints defence to go dwelling from a yard out.

Regardless of falling behind, Southampton’s begin was comparatively encouraging they usually have been rewarded with an Eleventh-minute leveller.

Walker-Peters once more offered the creativity, simply beating Fernandez near the left byline earlier than delivering a low cross for Aribo to comb dwelling.

From that second on, it was downhill for Martin’s crew.

Chelsea have been gifted again the lead within the seventeenth minute when an tried cross from superior Saints goalkeeper Joe Lumley to Walker-Peters was intercepted by Madueke, who slipped in Nkunku to fit into the unguarded internet.

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Fourth-choice Saints keeper Lumley, chosen within the absence of Aaron Ramsdale and Gavin Bazunu and amid the poor type of Alex McCarthy, partially redeemed himself by turning a Palmer effort on to the appropriate submit.

Tosin Adarabioyo headed towards the crossbar from the ensuing nook earlier than Madueke doubled the guests’ lead within the thirty fourth minute by chopping inside Ryan Manning to delightfully curl into the underside left nook.

Southampton repeatedly invited stress with their dangerous makes an attempt to play out from defence they usually suffered one other self-inflicted setback simply earlier than the break.

After referee Tony Harrington was referred to as to the pitch-side monitor by VAR, Stephens was dismissed for the second time this time period following a silly tangle with Cucurella within the Chelsea penalty space as James Bree waited to take the set-piece.

Adarabioyo lashed towards the appropriate submit and Madueke was twice denied by Lumley as Chelsea sought to extend their benefit following the restart.

Southampton nearly halved their deficit earlier than Madueke’s alternatives when Jorgensen denied Mateus Fernandes along with his ft.

However, following a quick delay brought on by a pitch invader, Palmer extinguished Saints’ scant hopes of a fightback by tapping in his ninth aim of the season within the 76th minute after Nkunku did the exhausting work.

Travelling followers saluted a dominant victory by chanting ‘we’ve acquired our Chelsea again’ and singing the title of their supervisor within the closing levels.

Substitute Sancho elevated the gloom among the many dwelling supporters three minutes from time, firing powerfully previous Lumley at his close to submit to finish the rout.