Pedro Neto deserved card for ‘shocking’ Chelsea failure, Sky panel erupts
Chelsea forward Pedro Neto let his side down in a “shocking” moment against Southampton and deserved punishment from the referee, according to Paul Merson.
The Portuguese forward was on-hand to help his side ease past a beleaguered Southampton, as the Blues comfortably won 4-0 (25 February).
Christopher Nkunku was the star of the show for Chelsea, scoring and assisting, and performing his trademark balloon celebration for the first time at Stamford Bridge.
The result against Southampton will ease some of the pressure on Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, as the Blues have suffered a miserable run of form post-Christmas.
However, the West London side now sit fourth in the Premier League, following the win against the Saints, with Ivan Juric another manager on the hot seat.
Pedro Neto ‘shocking’ touch lets Chelsea down
With the Blues leading comfortably, and looking to close out the game, Jadon Sancho burst through the Southampton midfield and played an inch-perfect pass to Neto.
However, the former Wolves winger seemed to get his legs in a twist, with the ball bouncing off his instep, before trickling out of play.
The Portuguese star was gifted an incredible opportunity to double his tally on the night, but got it all wrong according to Merson, who said on Sky Sports Soccer Special (25 February, 9.37pm): “Great opportunity, ball gets played into Sancho on the half-way line, tries to do a flick that goes horribly wrong but works in his favour.
| 2024/25 Premier League stats | Neto |
| Appearances | 24 |
| Starts | 14 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Assists | 4 |
| Minutes | 1,350 |
“He gets away from the defender, now he’s got to pick someone out. He picks Neto out on the right, I think Neto’s just got to take it on and hit it.
“He tries to bring it back to control it and his touch is shocking, it goes out for a goal kick. Should have got a yellow for it but he didn’t.”
Chelsea must build on comfortable win vs Southampton
Football Insider Verdict
The Blues have a formidable run-in coming up, as they are set to face Arsenal, Tottenham and then Brentford between 16 March and 5 April.
However, before then, Chelsea will face FC Copenhagen twice, and Leicester, giving Maresca a perfect chance to build confidence in his team.
Given the lack of experience in the Italian’s bloated squad, it is no surprise that his side have fallen off in their attempts to keep pace with sides like Liverpool and Arsenal, and games against weaker opposition will help the Blues get their groove back.
Chelsea fans can be tough to please, and the win against Southampton, and a chance to put Leicester to the sword could be a turning point in their season.