Chelsea extended their winning streak to three Premier League games with a dominant 5-1 victory over Southampton midweek, signaling a strong revival under Enzo Maresca’s leadership.
The Italian coach’s emphasis on an attacking style has revitalized the Blues, who have already scored an impressive 57 goals in all competitions this season.
Next Up: Tottenham Hotspur
Chelsea’s next challenge comes against Tottenham Hotspur, a side known for their unpredictability. Despite recent victories over Manchester City, Ange Postecoglou’s team has also suffered setbacks, including a recent loss to Bournemouth.
In contrast, Chelsea’s performance against Southampton highlighted their dominance, with one player in particular standing out.
Noni Madueke Shines Again
Noni Madueke continued his excellent form, taking his tally to six goals and two assists for the season.
Against Southampton, the young winger delivered a superb performance, scoring, assisting, creating a key chance, and taking seven shots. He also made one key pass and successfully completed half of his dribbles, showcasing his growing influence on the team.
With the busy holiday schedule approaching, Maresca might look to rotate his squad to keep players fresh, potentially resting Madueke in favor of another exciting option: Jadon Sancho.
Jadon Sancho’s Case for a Start
Sancho impressed in his brief appearance against Southampton, scoring Chelsea’s fifth goal and completing 89% of his passes. The on-loan winger lost possession just twice in his short time on the field. Given Tottenham left-back Destiny Udogie’s recent struggles against Fulham, losing possession 16 times and winning just 50% of his duels, Sancho’s creativity and dribbling could pose a significant threat to Spurs’ defense.
Sancho’s Growing Impact
The 24-year-old has made eight league appearances for Chelsea, contributing three assists and creating two big chances. With an average of one key pass and 1.8 successful dribbles per game, Sancho is beginning to regain the form that once earned him praise as a “phenomenon” from talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Title Race Implications
A win over Tottenham would bring Chelsea closer to Liverpool at the top of the Premier League. While Maresca has downplayed title talk, another strong performance from his team could make such discussions harder to ignore.
