October 23, (THEWILL) – In the early Saturday kickoff, Chelsea extended their Premier League lead to four points with a 7-0 pummelling of bottom-placed Norwich City at Stamford Bridge, further worsening life in the English top flight for the Canaries.
Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Reece James scored in the first half to put Thomas Tuchel’s side in command.
Chelsea’s goal-hunger showed no signs of waning in the second half, as Ben Chilwell added a fourth before Max Aarons deflected Hudson Odoi’s cross into his own net, giving Chelsea a fifth.
Ben Gibson received his second yellow card for a late tackle on James, capping off a miserable afternoon for the Canaries.
Chelsea added a sixth goal five minutes from time when Mount converted from the spot after the initial penalty was saved only for a re-take to be ordered, and Mount completed his hat-trick in stoppage time to round off the rout.
Norwich supporters must have been relieved when the final whistle blew. They had no answer for Chelsea’s rampage, as the hosts opened the gap on Liverpool to four points with a near-perfect performance that saw an own goal from Max Aarons compounding Norwich’s woes.
Norwich were completely destroyed, and they do not appear to be good enough to keep their Premier League status.
Although Mason Mount will be awarded the match ball, Antonio Rudiger’s contribution to the game, particularly in the attacking sense, cannot be overstated. He had a game-high 96.7 percent passing accuracy, with 93.8 percent in the Norwich half alone. It was a display that established the German as an unstoppable force in the Blues’ team.
Chelsea’s focus will shift to the Carabao Cup fourth round on Tuesday night, when they host Southampton at Stamford Bridge. Norwich City will be back in Premier League action next Sunday when Leeds United visit Carrow Road.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
