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    Chelsea player ratings: Levi Colwill steps up when needed most but Cole Palmer well off the boil as he hits new low

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    CHELSEA reverted to winning ways as they smashed Southampton 4-0 at Stamford Bridge.Goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella set the Blues on their way to victory.Chelsea cruised to a 4-0 win over Southampton on Tuesday nightCredit: PAThe Blues ended their run of three successive defeatsCredit: GettyIt ended a run of three straight defeats in all competitions.Chelsea had lost twice to Brighton, including once in the FA Cup, before suffering a late defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday.And victory came after fans held a protest on the Fulham Road, with banners taking aim at Todd Boehly and BlueCo.The result saw Chelsea move back into fourth to keep their Champions League dream alive.Just four points separate them from 10th-place Villa.And Chelsea will be hoping to build some momentum in their next games against Copenhagen and Leicester.But who was Chelsea’s best player on the night?Was there someone on the bench who did enough to impress boss Enzo Maresca?BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSAnd did anyone have a game to forget despite the result?Here, SunSport’s Lloyd Canfield delivers his Chelsea player ratings against Southampton…Enzo Maresca hopes to change Chelsea’s over-reliance on Cole Palmer FILIP JORGENSEN – 6He’s no Petr Cech or Thibaut Courtois, but he recovered from his Villa Park howler with a clean sheet against the Saints.Fans are still not convinced by the Dane, and groans echoed around the ground when he got the ball at his feet – though they were grateful for him when he made a cat-like save to deny Onuachu in the first half.If you gave them a chance they’d probably take on-loan Petrovic back from Strasbourg, the Serbian stopper has three clean sheets in his last three – typical.MALO GUSTO – 6Put in a fantastic challenge on Sulemana early in the second half, which was symbolic of his aggression on the right side of defence tonight.Defended well throughout the game, but perhaps could’ve offered more from an attacking point of view as Reece James often does.Chelsea will be pleased to see him improve though as two performing right-backs in this side is essential.TOSIN ADARABIOYO – 8’Uncle Tosin’ as he is affectionately known in the dressing room, was imperious in the air at the back for the Blues.He rose highest to flick the ball on to Christopher Nkunku as Maresca’s men opened the scoring in the first half, as well as saving Chelsea at the back early on in the game.His second half showing was equally as solid, and he has been a more than important signing from local rivals Fulham this campaign.LEVI COLWILL – 9Marking 6ft 7inch giant Paul Onuachu is no easy feat no matter how good you are, but Chelsea’s own Levi Colwill did that job pretty well.It was a necessary assured performance from the man touted as a future club captain after a few sloppy showings.He stepped into his challenges brilliantly and scored a powerful header to add a third to Chelsea’s tally in the first half.MARC CUCURELLA – 9Chelsea’s pantomime villain has made the inverted fullback role his own under Enzo Maresca, and is one of the best in the Premier League at doing that job.Intercepted numerous Southampton passes into midfield and progresses the Blues so well down the left, playing a vital role in Chelsea’s second goal doing exactly that.Topped off an almost perfect night with a fantastic finish into the bottom right corner to totally kill the game off.Gets a bonus point for his penguin celebration…MOISES CAICEDO – 8A pretty regular night by his standards, though the standards of a £115m midfielder are pretty lofty.The Ecuadorian was combative in midfield, working tirelessly to consistently win the ball back in Chelsea’s midfield as N’Golo Kante once did before him.While he is controlled on the ball and looks more than comfortable with it at his feet, it is his off-the-ball work which really sets him apart from other defensive mids in this league.ENZO FERNANDEZ (C) – 8Probably Chelsea’s most creative player in the first half, Enzo played a deeper role than he has the past two games and was arguably robbed of two assists by Cole Palmer.The Argentine was Chelsea’s midfield metronome, setting the tempo for his side and keeping attacks flowing smoothly throughout.His only criticism would be a tendency to take one too many touches and occasionally slow down promising breaks for his side.JADON SANCHO – 4A pretty quiet showing from him on the right wing tonight, with Nkunku occupying his usual spot on the left.Had a few flashes of good footwork as he always does, and wasn’t bad by any means but it didn’t look like the electric Jadon Sancho we saw when he first joined.He will surely welcome the return of Nicolas Jackson or Marc Guiu when they are back, as he looked a little lost without a real target to aim for with crosses into the box.COLE PALMER – 2It’s tough to write this, but it looks as though Cole Palmer has gone well and truly off the boil at the moment.The usually ever-reliable goal scorer missed THREE huge first-half chances which could’ve seen his side 6-0 up at half-time, and looked devoid of confidence after rolling the third wide.There is no doubt among fans that he will be back, as they sung his name loud and proud, but it looks like he’s in need of one of those moments of magic to re-ignite the spark in that fantastic left foot of his.CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU – 8The Frenchman popped up at the back post after a Chelsea corner to deflate Southampton’s hopes of a result at Stamford Bridge within 25 minutes.Just 10 minutes later his perfectly weighted pass for Neto saw an assist added to his performance too.This game should give him a much needed confidence boost ahead of Copenhagen and Leicester where he will expect to have his blue balloon out once more.PEDRO NETO – 8What could’ve been a tough night for Neto turned into a brilliant one when he smashed the ball past Aaron Ramsdale and into the back of the net in the first half.The Portuguese winger was playing up front in the absence of Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu, and got his just reward after working his socks off throughout the night.Also claimed an assist with a whipped free-kick perfect for Levi Colwill to power home.SUBSKiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Pedro Neto, 68) – 5Helped regulate the Chelsea midfield as they played without a striker when he came on, but ultimately didn’t impact the game much.Tyrique George (Jadon Sancho, 68) – 7Cobham star Tyrique George followed up a bright showing at Brighton with a first Premier League assist and tricky performance on both wings at times after coming on.There wouldn’t be many complaints from home supporters if he was given a start over Jadon Sancho against Copenhagen or Leicester.Josh Achaempong (Christopher Nkunku, 83) – 5Didn’t have much to do at the back after coming on as Chelsea were dominant until the end.Mathis Amougou (Moises Caicedo, 83) – 5Like Acheampong, did not have enough time to make an impact.Shim Mhueka (Enzo Fernandez, 87) – 6Almost scored with his first touch after coming on at the death to make his debut, but his header was denied by Ramsdale.Having watched him shine for the academy this season, you can rest assured this guy is a striker to look out for and don’t be surprised to see him given further chances this season. 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      Man Utd face eye-watering £12MILLION bill if they sack Ruben Amorim thanks to watertight contract clause

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      MANCHESTER UNITED will face an eye-watering £12MILLION bill if they sack Ruben Amorim this summer.The Red Devils’ head coach is understood to have a watertight clause in his contract — meaning he gets the remainder of his 2½-year deal paid up if he is ever axed.Ruben Amorim’s pay-off would be huge if he is axed this yearCredit: GettySir Jim Ratcliffe faces a £20m hit were Amorim and staff to be sackedCredit: AlamyThere is no suggestion under-fire part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has any plans to dump the Portuguese, who only joined the club in November after Erik ten Hag was sacked.And that is despite a shocking run of eight defeats and just four wins in his 15 Prem games.But if things deteriorated further for a team Amorim labelled “the worst” in United history, he would walk away with whatever is left on his £6m-per-year agreement.The same financial  security is understood to apply to all the backroom staff he brought with him when he left Sporting.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLAnd that would see the total cost of the P45s for Amorim and his coaches hit a whopping £20m.Last week, accounts until the end of 2024 showed United owe a huge £1billion, including £300m to clubs for transfer fees they are paying on drip.Amorim, 40, whose 15th-placed side host struggling Ipswich at Old Trafford tonight, said: “When you start a season it’s completely different.“In pre-season you have time to change things. That was my choice. I knew it would be tough.”Most read in FootballAfter tackling Ipswich on Wednesday, the Red Devils have a busy start to MarchBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSIronically, revelations over Amorim’s contract come amid claims rival clubs are looking to buy United’s sell-on clauses for ex-Red Devils.Such clauses have been popular with Old Trafford chiefs when offloading players in recent years.Federico Macheda says he’d get into this Man Utd team and reveals Sir Alex Ferguson’s amazing claim about himScott McTominay, Mason Greenwood, Facundo Pellistri and Hannibal Mejbri are amongst stars with lucrative fees owed if they are sold on. United would get a much-needed financial boost from selling clauses.Ratcliffe is already set to axe another 200 jobs around the club, on top of 250 staff being made redundant last summer. Man Utd could consider letting other clubs buy their sell-on clauses for some ex-players, which might include Marseille’s Mason GreenwoodCredit: AFP More

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      Brighton 2 Bournemouth 1: Seagulls take huge leap towards European football with huge win over South Coast rivals

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      BRIGHTON’S Danny Welbeck claimed the South Coast Champions League bragging rights against Bournemouth.The super-sub beat-up the Cherries with a stylish second-half winner which had the Seagulls flying level on points with their coastal rivals.Brighton secured a 2-1 win over Bournemouth in their south coast derbyCredit: ReutersThe result saw the Seagulls move level on points with the CherriesCredit: ReutersJoao Pedro had given the hosts the lead from the penalty spot but that was wiped out by a fabulous Justin Kluivert equaliser.But former Manchester United and Arsenal star Welbeck won the neighbourly contest with the winner 15 minutes from time.Both seaside towns have been in splashing form in their bid to claim their place at the top European table next season.But it was the side from Sussex who came out on top again with their fourth successive home win against the boys from Dorset.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBournemouth were forced to rearrange their back line when defender Illia Zabarnyi lost his appeal against Saturday’s sending off against Wolves.James Hill took his place alongside teenage centre-back sensation Dean Huijsen.It was a big blow for the Cherries as the Ukraine star had played every minute of the season until he was red carded against Wanderers.Brighton gave their January signing, former Inter-Miami star Diego Gomez his full debut-and the Paraguayan didn’t let his team down.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSHe was a constant threat and did indeed provide the pass that led to Pedro’s first half penalty.The visitors started well with Ryan Christie forcing Albion goalkeeper to Bart Verbruggen to dive full length to his left to claw his shot away.Every Premier League stadium ranked by the number of pubs nearby with one boasting over 130 local boozersBrighton responded well and had the Cherries new look defence in disarray.Georginio Rutter sent a powerful header wide just before Kaoru Mitoma ran through and sent a side-effort rolling past the far post.But Gomez made his mark when he sent Joao Pedro into the box hounded by defender Dean Huijsen.The striker kept his feet until Cherries stopper Kepa raced out of goal and bundled him over.Joao Pedro gave Brighton an early leadCredit: GettyPedro hit the target from the penalty spotCredit: GettyReferee Michael Oliver immediately pointed to the spot which didn’t go down with the Chelsea loanee claiming he didn’t touch the player.But VAR confirmed the 12th minute spot-kick and Pedro sent Kepa the wrong way for his seventh goal of the campaign.The visitors got their game back on track but were dealt a blow when a hobbling Christie had to be replaced by Alex Scott on 26 minutes.Bournemouth were being pinned back by a vibrant Albion side but were always threatening with a quick counter-attack.Justin Kluivert fired in a rocket to equaliseCredit: ReutersThe Dutchman has been in top form this seasonCredit: ReutersThe Seagulls were unlucky not to double their lead on 37 minutes when Mitoma volleyed Tariq Lamptey cross against the post.At the other end Antoine Semenyo showed three home players a clean pair of heels before he thumped his shot straight at Verbruggen.   Brighton looked dangerous whenever they attacked no doubt fired up by the fact they had just beaten Chelsea 3-0 and Southampton 4-0 in their last league fixtures.Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert, who had scored nine times on the road in the Premier League, had a quiet first half.Danny Welbeck came off the bench to net Brighton’s winnerCredit: ReutersThe veteran striker was delighted with his late impactCredit: ReutersBut straight after the break the Dutchman came alive seeing his cross glide just wide of the home goal.Kluivert wasn’t looking glum for long because he was soon celebrating his 13th goal of the campaign on 61 minutes.The winger took Milos Kerkez’s pass in his stride, moved inside before thumping a rocket into the far corner of the net from 18 yards.READ MORE SUN STORIESBournemouth had their tails up but Welbeck brought them down to earth soon after entering the field.He controlled Rutter’s pass with his right foot before gently placing it with his left past Kepa into the net. More

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      Crystal Palace 4 Aston Villa 1: Adam Wharton runs the show on return to starting XI in front of England boss Tuchel

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      HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Ismaila Sarr – what a wonderful way to celebrate your big day.The Senegal striker marked his 27th birthday with two brilliant goals – scored against different goalkeepers – as clinical Crystal Palace returned to winning ways at Selhurst Park.Ismaila Sarr scored twice to sink Aston VillaCredit: GettyJean-Philippe continued his good goalscoring formCredit: ReutersAdam Wharton ran the match on his first start after three months out injuredCredit: GettyThe ex-Watford star became just the third Palace player to score a Premier League goal on his birthday after Christian Benteke (against Bournemouth in 2016) and Luka Milivojevic (against Southampton in 2018).As Sarr blew out the candles on his cake, the result was a huge blow to Unai Emery’s hopes of Aston Villa keeping pace with the top-four spots as they slipped two places down to tenth.After meeting the future King, new England boss Thomas Tuchel went from Windsor Palace to the (Crystal) Palace for the evening’s entertainment.And the decision to visit atmospheric SE25 was a wise one given there were TEN Englishmen involved across the two starting line-ups.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThere were six for Palace and four for Villa but Manchester United’s on-loan ace Marcus Rashford, the winner of 60 England caps, had to wait until being introduced on 68 minutes – and when he did appear, he did not offer much as Villa really struggled.There has been considerable criticism for Tuchel’s apparent work-from-home policy – he has spent more time with his family in Germany rather than sit in the cold at English football grounds – but there was plenty to ponder as he watched the homegrown contingent.For Adam Wharton, making his first Premier League start since October, this was a timely moment to show off his abilities to England’s third overseas manager in history.The 21-year-old midfielder – an unused member of Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad at the 2024 European Championships – has had his minutes managed by boss Oliver Glasner.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSThis is because he had surgery last autumn for a persistent groin problem and was absent for four months in the middle of the campaign.Pain-free and fully recovered, his return to the picture after three sub appearances was at the expense of Colombian Jefferson Lerma, who had started in the superb 2-0 win at Fulham last Saturday.Crystal Palace and Lyon chief John Textor wears cowboy hat in sarcastic response to rivalAnd on 29 minutes, the Lancastrian showed Tuchel that he possesses a wand of a left foot because it was his delivery that gave the home side the opener.The former Blackburn Rovers man switched the ball right to left and then whipped in the cross, which survived a VAR check because while Tyrick Mitchell was offside, he was not interfering with play.And though Emiliano Martinez stopped the initial header from Chris Richards, the Argentine World Cup-winning goalkeeper could not prevent Sarr from scoring at the back post.Several minutes before that opener, Villa had had a goal disallowed for offside as Ollie Watkins brilliantly fed in Jacob Ramsey – a lovely England 1-2 combination – but the finish was all in vain.On that occasion, it was the right call by VAR, a clear and obvious error from the on-field team.The Stockley Park officials were drawing their lines on the screen three minutes before half-time and my goodness, how infuriatingly close for Villa it was.Rogers played in Watkins – who, in turn, provided the return pass – but the latter’s knee was adjudged to have been offside.Emery, whose side could have gone fifth with a win, celebrated like a maniac on the touchline but that joy quickly disappeared and he could only look on with bemusement as it was scrubbed out.Now, Martinez might be trademarked these days as the world’s best goalkeeper but he simply cannot keep any clean sheets.It is 16 out of 17 games in a row where he has had to retrieve the ball from his net at least once.Though he did redeem himself with one decent save from Sarr, Martinez was replaced at half-time for fitness reasons by sub Robin Olsen.the-sun-22-23-heat-map-af243e58-a164-483b-ab95-9a423dbb4314In true pantomime fashion, the giant Swedish stopper was booed loudly by the Holmesdale Fanatics behind him.That is because during the half-time break he stopped some small kids from having some fun shots as it was disrupting his warm-up routines.Olsen was the one laughing on 52 minutes when he launched the ball ‘route one’ like Wimbledon used to do when they ground-shared here decades ago.Watkins won the header, outjumping defender Marc Guehi, and then Rogers demonstrated tremendous trickery to win possession of the bouncing ball with his head, twist past Chris Richards and then fire past Dean Henderson.Parity only lasted for seven minutes becauseMateta is a man in form and playing with supreme confidence and he fired past Olsen after being played in by Eze and Wharton.It was his 12th Prem goal this season and eight of those have come this calendar year, a tally matched by Liverpool’s Mo Salah in 2025.READ MORE SUN STORIESOn 71 minutes, Sarr made his special day even better as he hooked in a Daniel Munoz cut-back and though party-pooping VAR tried to spoil everything with a check, this was an evening for him and his family to remember.And there was one final English combination for Tuchel to enjoy as Mitchell crossed for Eddie Nketiah to score on an excellent night for the Eagles. 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      Wolves 1 Fulham 2: Visitors score right at the start of both halves to throw European race wide open again

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      RYAN SESSEGNON produced a reminder of the form that made him hot property not so long ago.He scored his first Premier League goal in over two and a half years to provide the platform for Fulham’s victory at Molineux.Fulham defeated Wolves to keep their European hopes aliveCredit: RexRyan Sessegnon opened the scoring for Fulham less than a minute after kick-offCredit: RexWolves ace Joao Gomes equalised shortly after Fulham’s openerCredit: AlamyFulham star Rodrigo Muniz scored the winner against WolvesCredit: GettyRodrigo Muniz’s sweet second-half lob kept the Cottagers on course for their first European campaign in 13 years.But the game was also a milestone for injury-hit Sessegnon who struck after just one minute to stun Wolves.This was his first top-flight start since playing for Tottenham in the North London derby just over two years ago.And he grabbed the opportunity with both hands.Read More on FootballFrom the start, Muniz found Andreas Pereira who fed the ball out left to Sessegnon, who fired his shot past keeper Jose Sa.That was his first Premier League goal since netting for Spurs against Bournemouth in October 2022.The left wing-back began his career at Fulham before returning on a free last summer.But he started just 26 league games in five years at Tottenham – after being plagued by hamstring problems over the past 18 months.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSTravelling Fulham fans sang “He’s one of our own” about a player who left for Spurs in 2019.But Sessegnon was at fault for Wolves’ 18th-minute leveller.Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey slams decision not to overturn Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card in Arsenal’s win over WolvesHe failed to deal with a Jean-Ricner Bellegarde cross and Joao Gomes netted from 15 yards with a powerful finish.But Wolves fell asleep again at the start of the second half – just as they had done an hour earlier.Boss Vitor Pereira must have been furious to see his players looking sluggish once more.Ex-Molineux forward Adama Traore threaded a pinpont through ball for Muniz who lifted the ball superbly over Sa and into the net.Fulham boss Marco Silva made five changes from the side that lost to Crystal Palace on Saturday – presumably with Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Manchester United in mind.Silva clearly wants some retribution for the cup clash at Old Trafford two years ago when he and two players were sent off.Fulham eyeing EuropeBut was this a weakened line-up? Not a bit of it.Fulham took the game to Wolves and made the most of the hosts’ slow start to each half.It was a result that leaves Silva’s side in ninth place – just two points behind Manchester City.The last time Fulham made it to Europe was in the 2011-12 season – but with a fierce battle, and possibly eighth place being enough to qualify, the opportunity is there.Wolves’ relegation battle continuesWolves are still not out of the woods when it comes to being drawn back into the bottom three – but it would take a big revival from Ipswich or Leicester to plunge them into danger again.They wanted to build on Saturday’s win at Bournemouth, but Fulham killed the game off in the second half and Wolves could not find a way through again.Matheus Cunha provided Wolves’ best chance of getting back into the game – but he was off target as Pereira’s men struggled despite a bright first half.Ex-Wolves striker Jimenez was welcomed by the Molineux fans when he came on as a second-half sub.READ MORE SUN STORIESAnd he almost scored Fulham’s third when he brought a solid save out of Sa.Wolves fans applauded both Jimenez and Traore at the final whistle in an emotional moment for both. More

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      Erik ten Hag reveals he’s started completely new job and may NEVER go back to football management after Man Utd sacking

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      ERIK TEN HAG hinted he may NEVER return to management after his dismissal from Manchester United.Ten Hag, 55, was sacked in October following a poor start to the season that left United 14th in the Premier League table.Erik ten Hag hinted he may never return to management after his Manchester United exitCredit: PAEx-Man Utd boss Ten Hag is currently working with his familyCredit: AlamyThe Dutch tactician was replaced by Ruben Amorim a month later -but the Portuguese head coach hasn’t fared much better with the Red Devils now even lower, in 15th in the top flight.The ex-Ajax boss is currently enjoying some time off away from the spotlight of the dugout.And Ten Hag confirmed that he’s keeping his options wide open when it comes to his next move.That includes a potential early end to his managerial career, which saw him winning three Eredivisie titles and two Dutch Cups with Ajax, before lifting the FA Cup and Carabao Cup with Man Utd.Read More on Man UtdThe ex-Utrecht boss would be open to a new project that “suits him” but is currently happy working away from football with his family.The Dutchman’s father Hennie owns a successful real estate company, while his brothers Michel and Rico are running several finance firms.Ten Hag told SEG Stories: “I don’t know how my career will develop. But I’m going to try my best.”Provided something comes along that suits me. There are so many other things I could do.Most read in Football”Maybe in football, in a new position as a manager. That’s an option. And maybe something completely different.”I’ve been working with my brothers lately. We have our own company. Or rather: they have their own company.Erik ten Hag gives major update on future and reveals he ‘misses Old Trafford’ after Man Utd sacking “But we also run a company together with our father. That’s also something I love to do.”I can now give that more attention and it’s also a lot of fun.” More

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      I woke up in hospital after gruesome injury… and phone call from Sir Alex Ferguson speaks volumes about the man he is

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      A FORMER Manchester United ace opened up about an incredible gesture Sir Alex Ferguson made at a dark time when he thought his career was over.Ferguson, 83, is considered by many as the greatest manager of all time having won 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions League trophies during his 17-year reign at Old Trafford.Sir Alex Ferguson was praised by one of his former Manchester United hopefulsCredit: GettyPhilip Mulryne revealed an amazing gesture he received from Ferguson after he left Man UtdCredit: PA:Empics SportSir Alex also gets credit for turning some of United’s greatest young prospects into legends, including David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and the famed Class of 92.One of Man Utd’s lesser-known academy graduates who got an opportunity to shine under Fergie is Philip Mulryne.Mulryne, 47, joined the Red Devils’ academy at the age of 14 and made his senior debut under the Scottish great on the final day of the 1997-98 campaign.The former midfielder, though, never managed to earn a permanent spot in the first team and that led to a mere five appearances until his move to Norwich a year later.Read More on Man UtdBut a year after joining the Canaries, the ex-Northern Ireland international suffered a devastating leg break which put his career at serious risk.As he was lying on a hospital bed agonising about his future, the phone rang, and it was Ferguson reaching out to him and offering him the opportunity to rehabilitate at Old Trafford.The footballer – who has since become a priest – returned to Old Trafford for a celebration of the club’s academy and shared his incredible story to an audience of current United hopefuls.Mulryne said: “I just want to say, as a testament to the club and what he [Ferguson] did, first of all he gave me my debut.Most read in Football“But a year after I signed for Norwich, I broke my leg. It nearly ended my career.“I woke up in hospital that night and the first phone call I got was the gaffer, offering that I could come back to the club for all my rehabilitation, and I had left the club a year.Ruben Amorim blames results on the pitch for Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s brutal Man Utd cuts “That was unbelievable for me and that was testament to the personal element to the club, not just the on-the-field, off-the-field attention to the person. “That’s a wonderful testament to the club and the people in it.” More

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      ‘We’re not Arsenal… win or leave’ – Chelsea fans hold protest against Todd Boehly ownership group and demand they sell

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      CHELSEA fans fumed “We’re not Arsenal” as they held a protest against Todd Boehly’s ownership group at Stamford Bridge.Hundreds of Blues supporters gathered outside the stadium ahead of Tuesday night’s Premier League clash with Southampton.Chelsea are facing a third season without Champions League footballCredit: PAThe Blues have won just three of their last 12 gamesCredit: PAChelsea players will be hoping for victory against the Saints tonightCredit: PAAnother declared: “BlueCo, Clearlake, Boehly, (Hansjorg) Wyss, (Jose) Feliciano and (Behdad) Eghbali. You’re destroying our club.”One noted: “No stadium plans, no UCL football, average squad, player trading obsession.”Another simply added: “We’re not Arsenal. Win or f**k off.”Numerous chants were also heard from the Chelsea fans gathered outside the Bridge.Among them included “Jose Mourinho”, “Roman Abramovich”, “You should have bought Brighton”, and “You’ve won us f**k all.”Chelsea stars will be hoping to cheer the protestors up by delivering an emphatic win against Southampton tonight.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe visitors are rooted to the bottom of the table.And anything less than a straightforward victory will not go down well with doubters. More

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      Chelsea vs Southampton LIVE SCORE: Latest updates from Stamford Bridge as Gomes fires Wolves back level in early game

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      CHELSEA welcome Southampton for a huge Premier League clash TONIGHT!The Blues will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2-1 loss away at Aston Villa on the weekend.Chelsea took the lead in the West Midlands, but a Marco Asensio double saw the Villans complete the turnaround.Enzo Maresca will be hoping his men can put an end to their losing run against a Southampton side that is rock bottom of the table.SunSport will also bring you all the goals from all the other matches taking place in the Premier League this evening.Kick off time: 8.15pm GMTTV channel: TNT Sports 1Live stream: discovery+Chelsea team: To follow…Southampton team: To follow…CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSFollow our live blog below…Coach ready for tough fixtureThe Chelsea boss spoke with BT Sports about his decision to bring Jadon Sancho and Tosin into the team, as well as whether he thinks bottom of the table Southampton offer a dangerous threat:Jadon is working well so we wanted to give him some minutes. He is arriving in the box and creating chances. I don’t trust any game, you prepare in the best way, it is a tricky/tough game. Hopefully we can win.Enzo MarescaChelseaCopy linkCopiedWolves 1-1 Fulham18. Finally Molineux breathes a sigh of relief as their team manages to get back on level terms in this one.Semedo picks out Gomes in the middle and he drives his shot into the top corner to give Leno no chance.Now we have a game on our hands in this one.Copy linkCopiedGoal – Joao Gomes (Wolves)Copy linkCopiedChelsea dream of promised landIt was something the club were able to take for granted for some time but now, Champions League football seems a distant memory.The fans want to see their team competing at the highest level once again and in order to achieve it, they need to rediscover their form.Tonight, they have the chance to move back into fourth place in the table and put pressure on the sides chasing for that coveted top four spot.Copy linkCopiedBrighton 1-0 Bournemouth12. Joao Pedro wins a penalty for The Seagulls as he looks to take the ball past Kepa and keeper brings him down.The referee points to the spot and VAR sees nothing to change that.Brighton’s striker picks himself up and slots the ball into the bottom corner to give Fabian Hurzeler’s side the lead.Copy linkCopiedGoal – Joao Pedro (Brighton)Copy linkCopiedCole looking to cool down concernsOne thing that is integral to this Chelsea team getting results in the last few seasons is the form of Cole Palmer.If he is on form, he makes The Blues tick, without that things tend to go pear-shaped for Maresca’s side.’Cold Palmer’ will be hoping he can get that ice coarsing through his veins once again as they lock horns with The Saints tonight.Credit: GettyCopy linkCopiedWolves 0-1 Fulham1. What a start to the match from The Cottagers.Pereira plays it into Sessegnon, wide in the penalty area, as he drills a left-footed shot into the far corner.Not the start the hosts were hoping for after their impressive win on the south coast against Bournemouth on the weekend.Copy linkCopiedGoal – Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham)Copy linkCopiedPassions reaching fever-pitch in West LondonAs the fans continue to make themselves heard outside Stamford Bridge, Blues’ fans hope they can start seeing this sort of passion from their high-paid players.Results and performances have really dropped off since the festive schedule and a top four finish hangs in the balance.Maresca will expect nothing but victory against tonight’s visitors Southampton, who are rooted to the bottom of the table.Copy linkCopiedView from SunSport’s Graham Hill at MolineuxBoth teams have something to go for at Molineux this evening. A win for Wolves would take Vitor Pereira’s side a step closer to Premier League safety – but Fulham still have ambitions of making it into Europe. Eighth spot could be enough so expect Marco Silva’s side to make a determined effort to make up for Saturday’s defeat to Crystal Palace.Two Portuguese managers are on show here, and judging by their pre-match chat, they seem to get on very well. Former Wolves striker Raul Jimenez got a good welcome when he stepped off the Fulham team coach – but he is only a sub this evening.Copy linkCopiedMisfiring Blues favourites for victoryDespite their in and out form, the bookies cannot see anything but a Chelsea win at Stamford Bridge this evening.Chelsea – 1/6Draw – 7/1Southampton – 12/1All match odds brought to you Betway.Copy linkCopiedView from SunSport’s Graham Nickless at Amex StadiumBournemouth were forced to rearranged their back line when they discovered this morning that Illia Zabarnyi had lost his appeal against Saturday’s sending off against Wolves. Tyler Adams came in for the Ukraine defender and David Brooks replaced Marcus Tavernier who went to the bench. Brighton gave January signing, the former Inter Miami star, his full debut while Pervis Estupinan replaced Jack Hinshelwood who joined the subs.Copy linkCopiedChelsea vs Southampton line-ups Chelsea XI: Jorgensen; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo; Palmer, Sancho, Neto; Nkunku.Southampton XI: Ramsdale; Sugawara, Bree, Bella-Kotchap, Walker-Peters; Downes, Smallbone, Fernandes, Aribo, Kamaldeen; OnuachuCopy linkCopiedChelsea’s horror runThe Blues have endured a torrid time of things since Christmas.Prior to their clash with Everton, Enzo Maresca’s side were presented with a chance to go TOP of the Premier League – however briefly.But, two months later and Chelsea find themselves 21 points behind Liverpool in first.They need to turn the form around and fast, as Man City, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Bournemouth all contend for a Champions League spot next year.Credit: RexCopy linkCopiedChelsea protestsAhead of their game with Southampton, Chelsea fans have been protesting against the club’s ownership. Credit: GettyCredit: GettyCopy linkCopiedBournemouth’s away runThe Cherries love a day on the road.Andoni Iraola’s side haven’t lost an away game since losing 3-2 away at Brentford in NOVEMBER.However – good as their away record is, Brighton already having bragging rights.The Seagulls came to the Vitality in November and won 2-1, with the Bournemouth goal not coming until deep into added time.Brighton are on a game of three wins in a row after their 7-0 battering by Nottingham Forest, and haven’t conceded in 180 Premier League minutes.Their last seven Premier League away games: 🟢 4-2 vs. Wolves🟢 2-1 vs. Ipswich Town🟢 3-0 vs. Manchester United🟡 2-2 vs. Fulham🟡 2-2 vs. Chelsea🟢 4-1 vs. Newcastle United 🟢 3-1 vs. SouthamptonCredit: RexCopy linkCopiedWolves Teen17 year old talent Matheus Mane will be on the bench for Wolves today, one year after signing with the club.From Non-league at Rochdale last year to first team at Wolves tonight.Copy linkCopiedWolves vs Fulham line-ups Wolves XI: Sa; Semedo, Doherty, Bueno, Gomes, Ait Nouri; Andre, Gomes; Bellegarde, Munetsi; CunhaFulham XI: Leno; Castagne, Diop, Andersen, Cuenca, Sessegnon; Lukic, Berge; Pereia, Traore; MunizCopy linkCopiedBrighton vs Bournemouth line-ups Brighton XI: Verbruggen; Lamptey, Van Hecke, Webster, Estupinan; Baleba, Gomez; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; PedroBournemouth XI: Arrizabalaga; Cook, Hill, Huijsen, Kerkez; Christie, Adams; Brooks, Kluivert, Semenyo; Ouattara Copy linkCopiedCrystal Palace vs Aston Villa line-ups – Asensio and Rashford on BENCHCrystal Palace XI: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Hughes, Wharton, Mitchell; Sarr, Mateta, EzeAston Villa XI: Martinez; Garcia, Konsa, Disasi, Digne; McGinn, Tielemans, Bogarde; Ramsey, Rogers, WatkinsCopy linkCopiedAsensi-hero’s and VillainsMarco Asensio scored a brace for the Villains last time out.Aston Villa are surging towards the Champions League for a second season in a row, with the Spanish attacker helping Unai Emery’s side see off Chelsea. Their win was not without the helping hand of Filip Jorgensen, who arguably could have saved his winner. Crystal Palace will be hoping their clash against Aston Villa would be on the road, winning all FIVE of their last away games 2-0.There is nobody better than in-form Jean Philip Mateta, who has provided a goal or an assist in four of those five games.Credit: RexCopy linkCopiedPremier League table heading into tonight’s gamesWe are at a crucial moment in the season, with points making all the difference as we tick towards the business end.Liverpool – 64 pts Arsenal – 53 Nottingham Forest – 47Man City – 44 Newcastle – 44Bournemouth – 43Chelsea – 43Aston Villa – 43Brighton – 40Fulham – 39Brentford – 37Tottenham – 33Crystal Palace – 33Everton – 31Man United – 30West Ham – 30Wolves – 22Ipswich – 17Leicester – 17Southampton – 9Copy linkCopiedHow to watch all of the action tonightTNT Sports are covering EVERY Premier League game LIVE over the next three nights. The games will be on these channels: TNT Sports 1: Chelsea vs Southampton TNT Sports 2: Crystal Palace vs Aston VillaTNT Sports 3: Brighton vs BournemouthTNT Sports 4: Wolves vs FulhamBut, make sure to keep an eye on SunSport’s blog to keep up to date with the action from EVERY Premier League game.Copy linkCopiedMidweek Premier League Welcome to SunSport’s coverage of Chelsea vs Southampton, and all the Premier League games live TONIGHT.Enzo Maresca’s out-of-form Blues welcome the Premier League’s bottom side Southampton in tonight’s 8:15pm GMT kick-off.Both sides come into the fixture with identical records, having both lost four and only won once in their previous five games.Chelsea’s win came over West Ham, whereas Southampton’s came over Ipswich.There are three other games to dig your teeth into this evening before kick-off at Stamford Bridge.Brighton host Bournemouth at the Amex, Champions League chasing Aston Villa travel to Crystal Palace, and Wolves take on Fulham.All of the action is LIVE on TNT Sports.Alternatively, follow SunSport’s live blog!Credit: GettyCopy linkCopied More