Chelsea routs Southampton 4-0 on frustrating night for Cole Palmer. Brighton and Palace win
Chelsea routs Southampton 4-0 on frustrating night for Cole Palmer. Brighton and Palace win
Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, left, and Southampton’s Will Smallbone battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Chelsea’s Pedro Neto, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring their side’s second goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Brighton and Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro, center, celebrates scoring his side’s first goal of the game with team-mates during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton and Hove Albion and AFC Bournemouth, at American Express Stadium, Brighton, England, Tuesday Feb. 25, 2025. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match at American Express Stadium, Brighton, England, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
Brighton and Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro scores his side’s first goal of the game from the penalty spot during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton and Hove Albion and AFC Bournemouth, at American Express Stadium, Brighton, England, Tuesday Feb. 25, 2025. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
England manager Thomas Tuchel in the stands ahead of the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, at Selhurst Park, London, Tuesday Feb. 25, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, left, celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game with teammate Leon Bailey during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta celebrates scoring their side’s second goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon scores their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, England, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Jacob King/PA via AP)
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Joao Gomes, right, scores their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, England, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Jacob King/PA via AP)
Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, left, and Southampton’s Will Smallbone battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, left, and Southampton’s Will Smallbone battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Chelsea’s Pedro Neto, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring their side’s second goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Chelsea’s Pedro Neto, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring their side’s second goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Brighton and Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro, center, celebrates scoring his side’s first goal of the game with team-mates during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton and Hove Albion and AFC Bournemouth, at American Express Stadium, Brighton, England, Tuesday Feb. 25, 2025. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
Brighton and Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro, center, celebrates scoring his side’s first goal of the game with team-mates during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton and Hove Albion and AFC Bournemouth, at American Express Stadium, Brighton, England, Tuesday Feb. 25, 2025. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match at American Express Stadium, Brighton, England, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match at American Express Stadium, Brighton, England, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
Brighton and Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro scores his side’s first goal of the game from the penalty spot during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton and Hove Albion and AFC Bournemouth, at American Express Stadium, Brighton, England, Tuesday Feb. 25, 2025. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
Brighton and Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro scores his side’s first goal of the game from the penalty spot during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton and Hove Albion and AFC Bournemouth, at American Express Stadium, Brighton, England, Tuesday Feb. 25, 2025. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
England manager Thomas Tuchel in the stands ahead of the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, at Selhurst Park, London, Tuesday Feb. 25, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
England manager Thomas Tuchel in the stands ahead of the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, at Selhurst Park, London, Tuesday Feb. 25, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, left, celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game with teammate Leon Bailey during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, left, celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game with teammate Leon Bailey during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta celebrates scoring their side’s second goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta celebrates scoring their side’s second goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon scores their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, England, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Jacob King/PA via AP)
Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon scores their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, England, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Jacob King/PA via AP)
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Joao Gomes, right, scores their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, England, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Jacob King/PA via AP)
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Joao Gomes, right, scores their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, England, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Jacob King/PA via AP)
Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Chelsea wasn’t so reliant on Cole Palmer this time.
On a frustrating evening for the England star, his Chelsea teammates stepped up — as demanded by their manager — to share the goals in a 4-0 thrashing of last-place Southampton in the Premier League on Tuesday.
Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella were the scorers as Chelsea ended a three-match losing run by beating a team destined to go down, perhaps as one of the worst-performing teams to ever play in the Premier League. Southampton has just nine points from 27 games.
As for Palmer, he will wonder how he didn’t get on the score sheet and add to his 14 league goals so far this season.
The best of his many opportunities at Stamford Bridge came midway through the first half when he was played clean through one-on-one with Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. He delayed and delayed and then shot too close to Ramsdale, who parried the effort away.
After wasting another chance in the second half, Palmer appeared to laugh at himself.
Palmer is on his driest run since joining Chelsea from Manchester City in September 2023. He hasn’t scored in seven games now.
On the eve of the match against Southampton, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said Palmer’s dip in productivity has probably arisen because “we rely on him for everything.”
Maresca returned to that same theme after the game.
“He has to continue to work, continue to be happy, continue to laugh they way he does,” the coach said. “We are completely happy with him. It is normal to go through a moment where you struggle to score but it doesn’t matter. Just continue and you are going to score many goals.”
Chelsea climbed to fourth place in the standings. The Premier League is likely to get five qualification berths for next season’s Champions League.
Another loss for Bournemouth, another win for Brighton
Bournemouth is a more unlikely contender for Champions League qualification, its ambitions boosted by an 11-match unbeaten run in the league from late November to the end of January.
However, the unheralded south-coast club has now lost three of its last four league matches, the latest being a 2-1 reverse at Brighton after Danny Welbeck scored the 75th-minute winner — three minutes after coming off the bench.
Justin Kluivert had equalized for Bournemouth in the 61st, canceling out Joao Pedro’s 12th-minute opener from the penalty spot after he was fouled by goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Bournemouth started the match in sixth place — one point behind fifth — but dropped to seventh and has now been joined on 43 points by Brighton, another improbable candidate for Champions League qualification.
It was a fourth straight win in all competitions for Brighton since a 7-0 loss at Nottingham Forest.
Palace wins in front of Thomas Tuchel
Crystal Palace beat Aston Villa 4-1 at home, with Ismaila Sarr scoring twice for the hosts in a match watched by England men’s coach Thomas Tuchel.
Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eddie Nketiah also netted for Palace, with Morgan Rogers replying for Villa.
Fulham won 2-1 at Wolverhampton thanks to a goal in the first minute by Ryan Sessegnon and a winner by Rodrigo Muniz.
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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer