Jairzinho drives Chelsea past Southampton

Chelsea’s domestic dominance has survived another season’s turn, and the early signs suggest there is little appetite for a pause. Six league wins in a row have put them top after six matches; their 4-0 defeat of Southampton on 15 September showed how much of that authority can rest on one player’s shoulders.

Jairzinho was everywhere. He scored twice, supplied three key passes and completed seven dribbles, repeatedly making Southampton’s resistance look a step behind. The 9.5 rating was deserved, but the numbers that best captured his command were not confined to the attacking end: he won four tackles and made four interceptions across 90 minutes.

Chelsea had 26 shots to Southampton’s four, and the visitors managed only one on target. The home side’s 52 per cent possession was hardly overwhelming; what mattered was the pressure they turned it into. César Schwindt also scored, while Bruce Hilgers contributed an assist before being replaced in the 54th minute. Chelsea’s 16 corners and 11 efforts on target told the story of a match played largely on their terms.

Jairzinho’s contribution was not simply to finish the work. Four shots, two on target, seven dribbles and three key passes made him the pulse of Chelsea’s attack, while his defensive work ensured Southampton could find no comfortable route out. It was a display of appetite as much as polish: the Brazilian kept demanding the ball, and kept making something happen with it.

Chelsea’s long run of league titles remains intact, and their six straight wins have given the new campaign a familiar shape. But the club’s standards are not a reason to wave through every performance as routine. Against Southampton, Jairzinho made this one emphatic.