Timo Werner and Mason Mount registered doubles as Chelsea dismantled Southampton and claimed an outstanding 6-0 victory at St Mary's in the Premier League on Saturday. 

Following the disappointment of home losses to Brentford in the Premier League and Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals in their previous two outings, Chelsea were back on song on the south coast. 

Marcos Alonso, Mount, Werner and Kai Havertz all hit the back of the net as Thomas Tuchel's side blew Saints away and surged into a four-goal lead inside just 31 minutes. 

Werner and Mount were on target early in the second half to complete the rout and open up an eight-point gap to fifth-placed Arsenal, who lost at home to Brighton and Hove Albion. 

The pressure from Chelsea was incessant early on and they took the lead when Alonso drilled home a cushioned pass from Mount, who rifled in a brilliant second from 20 yards. 

After hitting the woodwork twice, Werner finally had a goal when he pounced on a loose header from James Ward-Prowse at the halfway line and held off Jan Bednarek before rounding Fraser Forster. 

Havertz tucked home a simple finish in the 31st minute when Werner's shot came back off the upright, and only a trio of strong saves from Forster stopped the gap increasing before half-time. 

The onslaught continued after the break with Werner rolling the ball into an empty net after Forster parried N'Golo Kante's dink straight to him. 

Edouard Mendy kept Che Adams at bay on a rare Saints attack and Chelsea punished his miss when Mount converted on the follow-up after Forster kept Christian Pulisic and Werner out. 

Alonso and Reece James went close but Southampton were able to get to the final whistle without conceding another goal, though Chelsea's confidence will have been sufficiently boosted before their second leg against Madrid. 

What does it mean? Chelsea's rip-roaring start makes the difference 

With Alonso, Mount and Werner finding the net in the opening 21 minutes, Chelsea had their earliest three-goal lead ever in a Premier League away game. 

It was four 10 minutes later, meaning they were the quickest to reach that tally away from home in a top-flight game since October 2011, when Chelsea needed just 27 minutes at Bolton Wanderers. 

The incredible start meant the game was all but done by half-time and Chelsea were able to cruise to the final whistle. 

Mount on top 

In a little over a quarter of an hour, Mount had a goal and an assist for Chelsea. It was the fifth time he has scored and set up another in the same game this season, with Mohamed Salah (also five) the only player to match him. 

Another Hasenhuttl horror show 

Southampton conceded at least four goals in a single half for the 21st time in their Premier League history. Seven of those instances have now come under Ralph Hasenhuttl. 

What's next? 

Chelsea travel to the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Madrid, while Southampton have a week to recover before the visit of Arsenal in the Premier League. 

Bayern Munich restored their nine-point lead at the Bundesliga summit thanks to Robert Lewandowski's penalty in a late 1-0 win over Bavarian neighbours Augsburg.

The hosts were beaten 1-0 by Villarreal in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie in midweek and were frustrated for 82 minutes at Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Just when Bayern looked to be heading for a first league blank since January 2020, Lewandowski's header hit Reece Oxford's arm and the striker stepped up to convert from the spot.

Bayern have now won three league games in a row and retain a healthy lead over Borussia Dortmund, who beat Stuttgart 2-0 on Friday, ahead of the sides meeting in two weeks.

David de Gea issued a damning assessment of Manchester United's quality and acknowledged it will be "very difficult" for them to finish in the top four. 

United succumbed to a surprise 1-0 loss to relegation-threatened Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday, with Anthony Gordon's deflected strike proving to be the difference. 

Ralf Rangnick has now triumphed in just eight of his first 17 Premier League games as the Red Devils' boss, giving him a win percentage of 47% – the worst of any manager the club has had in the competition. 

It was United's eighth defeat of the season – only the eighth time they have lost that many games in a single campaign but the sixth since 2012-13. 

They could find themselves six points adrift of the top four by the end of the weekend, with De Gea admitting they lack the requisite quality to qualify for next season's Champions League. 

"We knew before today they were struggling and how difficult it was going to be," De Gea told BT Sport. 

"We don't score, we don't even create proper chances to score. I don't know what to say, to be honest. We're not good enough, that's for sure. It's going to be very difficult now to be in the top four. 

"Of course, it's not the perfect atmosphere. They were tired, they were nervous, but they keep going and keep fighting. They had more desire than us, which is not acceptable. It's very sad to lose today." 

Rangnick will move into a consulting role at Old Trafford at the conclusion of the season, with Ajax boss Erik ten Hag reported to be the frontrunner to take over. 

Mauricio Pochettino has also been linked with the role, but Rangnick does not believe the uncertainty can be used to excuse a dismal run of one win in seven in all competitions. 

"I don't think this should be an excuse. We are Manchester United. We have lots of international players. There shouldn't be an alibi," Rangnick said. 

"There will be a new manager next season. If this is announced now or in 10 days, it shouldn't have an impact." 

He added: "If you don't score a single goal in 95 minutes, we have to be disappointed. We had a good start and should have created more chances out of that domination. Then we concede a deflected shot and lost a bit of our composure. 

"The second half we were trying to add creativity with substitutions, but we didn't always take the right decision. 

"We had to do something. We needed a goal and we decided to bring on [Juan] Mata and more verticality with [Anthony] Elanga. 

"They were defending with their players in the last 35 minutes. We didn't find the right player at the right moment. We didn't have enough players in the box when we played crosses." 

Max Verstappen believes the Australian Grand Prix has been hindered by the FIA removing a DRS zone. 

Reigning Formula One champion Verstappen was pipped to pole position for Sunday's race in Melbourne by Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. 

The Dutchman questioned the FIA's decision to continue with three DRS zones for the rest of the weekend after removing one between turns eight and nine for "safety reasons".

"Of course, with taking away one DRS zone, it's going to be harder," Verstappen said of overtaking at a restructured Albert Park. 

"I don't really understand why they took it away, because it was much safer than what we did in Jeddah, for example. So, it's a bit of a mystery to me why that happened. But we'll give it our best. 

"There was only one team who complained about it and it got removed this morning, so I don't really understand because, for me, it was way easier than doing it in, for example, in Jeddah because there were way more corners. 

"For me, there was never any issue with driving there with the DRS open. You'll have to ask the FIA why they took it away. It's a shame because it would have helped the racing." 

Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, who qualified third, added: "I think it's a bit of a shame because I think definitely the racing could have been a lot better. 

"And it sounds like when you look at Jeddah where we have the DRS within the corners, within the walls ... but I think I'm not the right one to answer." 

Mohamed Salah is beginning to believe Liverpool can win an unprecedented quadruple and has told team-mates to "enjoy it and go for everything". 

Speculation over his Anfield future is adding a soap opera element to Liverpool's push for titles on all fronts, as it remains to be seen whether the Egyptian signs a new contract. 

That is a distraction Liverpool and Salah are trying to push aside for the moment, with an intense schedule of games meaning there is scant time to deal with such matters. 

Salah will be the player Liverpool look to again on Sunday when Jurgen Klopp's team tackle Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in a game that is being dubbed, rather preemptively, as a title decider. 

Liverpool trail City by one point and both will have seven matches remaining after Sunday, with City not having to face any side currently in the top five across those remaining games. 

It makes it perhaps imperative that Liverpool do win in Manchester, and Salah said: "We know how to play big games. Hopefully we will win the next game but if you ask me about advantage, they have more of an advantage because they are a point ahead and are at home. 

"The most important thing for us is not to lose the game, but if we lose the gap is going to be bigger." 

Salah is the Premier League's top scorer with 20 goals, albeit he has not netted from open play in his last eight games for Liverpool. 

He has not quite maximised the chances that have come his way this season, given his expected goals (xG) total of 21.7 exceeds the number of times he has found the net. Last season he scored 22 Premier League goals from an xG total of 19.3. 

Team-mates Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane have 14 and 12 Premier League goals respectively this term, with Liverpool the competition's highest scorers with 77 goals from 30 games. 

Salah has scored in four of his previous five Premier League games against City, including each of his last three in a row, but Liverpool are winless in their past four against Pep Guardiola's side in the competition (D2 L2). 

This time they believe it can be different. Liverpool have won each of their last 10 Premier League games, keeping eight clean sheets in this run, and with the EFL Cup already secured, Klopp's team are closing in on glory in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. 

City are their FA Cup semi-final opponents, and the teams could even meet in the Champions League final. 

Salah senses the chance to make trophy history, saying: "We wish we can do four. We've never done four before. This season we are really close and we are in top form. 

"We've won the last 10 games in the Premier League so we are in a good way, and hopefully we can win the next game. 

"We look at this situation now and we just have to enjoy it. We can't be in this situation and feel pressure. We just have to enjoy it and go for everything." 

Klopp's team are 3-1 up in their Champions League quarter-final against Benfica, ahead of the second leg on Wednesday, as the big games keep coming. 

"Our programme is insane," said the Reds manager. "We play City, Benfica, City, [Manchester] United and Everton. They all will hope if we win one of the City games we will celebrate for three or four days, but we will not." 

Anthony Gordon scored the only goal as relegation-threatened Everton dented Manchester United's Champions League qualifying hopes with a 1-0 win at Goodison Park.

The Toffees boosted their Premier League survival bid with Gordon's deflected first-half strike sealing consecutive home victories for the first time since September.

United remain three points off the top four, although the deficit could be extended to six should either Arsenal or Tottenham win later today.

Meanwhile, Everton move four points clear of the relegation zone after only a third success in 10 league games under Frank Lampard, who was under pressure following the 3-2 loss to fellow strugglers Burnley on Wednesday.

Ralf Rangnick's side made a bright start as they sought consecutive away wins over Everton for the first time in the Premier League since September 2007.

Marcus Rashford was looking for his first goal since netting the winner against West Ham in January, and it took two brilliant saves from England team-mate Jordan Pickford to prevent him from ending his drought inside the opening quarter of an hour.

Despite having just 35 per cent of possession, it was the hosts who broke the deadlock in the 27th minute when Gordon's 20-yard strike deflected past David de Gea via Maguire.

De Gea came to the visitors' rescue later in the half with magnificent reflexes to tip Richarlison's deflected looping effort over the crossbar.

Everton continued to press for a second goal after the break, with Ben Godfrey heading over from a corner, while it took an important block from Victor Lindelof to deny Gordon from eight yards.

At the other end, Anthony Elanga fired over and Paul Pogba tested Pickford from distance but, despite dominating possession, United were unable to convert it into an equaliser.

Lewis Hamilton described the temperament of his Mercedes as that of "a viper, or a rattlesnake" after qualifying fifth for the Australian Grand Prix.

The seven-time Formula One champion recognised a significant shift in performance as he finished just ahead of team-mate George Russell, with both Mercedes cars starting on the third row for Sunday's race.

That is a welcome boost to the team, after Hamilton was eliminated in Q1 last time out in Saudi Arabia.

This time, both cars safely made it through to the third round of qualifying, and Hamilton said it was "nice to be back up there" as he and Mercedes looks to challenge early-season pace-setters Ferrari.

"Jeddah was really, really, really tough, to be so far back and not really be able to make progress," Hamilton said.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Hamilton said the Mercedes team had worked through the night in an effort to draw the best possible lap from the car.

And he claimed there could be better still to come, but the danger lies in pushing too hard.

"I feel like with my lap today there was a little bit more in the car," Hamilton said. "I'm naturally also gutted I wasn't able to extract that little bit.

"But the problem is when you push that car a little bit more, she's quite spiteful. She's like a viper, or like a rattlesnake, you never know."

Hamilton has complained about the W13 car bouncing during the early weeks of the season, and that remains an issue.

He was almost a full second behind Ferrari pole-sitter Charles Leclerc in Q3 on Saturday at Melbourne's Albert Park circuit, meaning there remains a significant gap in performance.

"We just have to try to find a level of the bouncing as hardcore as we can go, without rattling our brains out of our skulls, and that's what we try to do," Hamilton said.

"[Russell] and I have slightly different cars because we're trying all different things. I've got something in my car that makes the car a little bit heavier.

"Hopefully it will enable the team to gain more information from the race tomorrow. I hope from that we can start making some progress."

Hamilton has previously taken eight pole positions at Albert Park, matching the all-time record for any F1 circuit. Eight poles has also been previously achieved by Michael Schumacher at Suzuka, Ayrton Senna at Imola and Hamilton himself at Hungaroring.

Qualifying success has not typically translated to success on race day for Hamilton in Australia, however, as he has only recorded two wins at Albert Park, in the 2008 and 2015 seasons.

Cristiano Ronaldo should replace Harry Maguire as Manchester United captain, according to Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies.

A video surfaced on YouTube of the Canada international making the astonishing assessment while playing FIFA 22 on streaming service Twitch.

Maguire has found himself a scapegoat during another difficult season for United, who are seventh in the Premier League and three points behind Tottenham in fourth.

Following several below-par performances and high-profile mistakes, the England international was also booed by sections of the Wembley crowd during the Three Lions' recent friendly against Ivory Coast.

Many have questioned the decision to hand the defender the armband over Ronaldo, who returned to Old Trafford from Juventus last August.

And Davies followed suit during a mini rant when acquiring Maguire in a pack on the Ultimate Team game mode.

Turning down his music, the Bayern defender said: "Can you guys imagine?! Can you guys imagine?!

"You're Ronaldo; one of the greatest players ever. And what's his name is your captain? Harry Maguire is your captain?!

"And you refer to him as 'yes cap' – I don't know what he says to him. 

"I'm not dissing Harry Maguire, but Ronaldo should get the armband."

Max Verstappen admits he is still finding it a "struggle" to drive his Red Bull after being pipped to pole for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix by Charles Leclerc.

Championship leader Leclerc outpaced Verstappen with his final lap of a dramatic qualifying session in Melbourne on Saturday to ensure he will start at the top of the grid.

The Ferrari driver, who has finished first and second in the opening two races of 2022, posted 1:17.868 late on in Q3 to finish 0.286s ahead of Verstappen.

"It feels great and very happy to be starting on pole," Leclerc said. "Again, we were quite surprised by our pace in qualifying, so we will see what happens.

"Overall, I'm very happy because it's a track where I've always struggled in the past and I've struggled this weekend.

"You probably couldn't see from outside because we were quite fast, but I was struggling quite a lot with mistakes, being inconsistent.

"I really worked on that to try to put a good lap together in Q3. I knew it was just all about putting it together and I managed to do it in Q3, so I'm very happy."

Verstappen was edged out by Leclerc in a thrilling Saudi Arabian Grand Prix two weeks ago and is third in the drivers' standings, with Carlos Sainz occupying second place.

Leclerc's Ferrari team-mate Sainz will start Sunday's race down in ninth, however, after being caught by red flags that were brought out following a crash for Fernando Alonso.

Red Bull's Verstappen will therefore have a chance to climb the standings this weekend, but the Dutchman is not entirely pleased with how the weekend has gone thus far.

"I would have hoped to start first, but we have to accept where we finish, but the whole weekend has been a bit tricky for me," he said.

"I've never really found a stable grip whether it's front or rear and that's just not nice. For me, that's really been the case all year.

"I've never found a comfortable balance where I could attack corners, especially in qualifying and that's a big limitation – it's something very new for me in the last three years.

"Of course, I'm talking like I'm P18, but I think we have a lot of potential in the car we're not showing and I think that's a bit of a shame.

"But I expect it to be tight [on Sunday]. Maybe Ferrari will find something, but I hope not and hopefully we can have a good battle again."

Despite his complaints, it is Verstappen's first front row start at Albert Park as he seeks just a second podium finish in six appearances Down Under.

Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez finished third in qualifying, though that will be reviewed as he is under investigation.

That is due to the Mexican failing to slow for double waved flags after Lance Stroll inadvertently turned into Nicholas Latifi, with both drivers blaming each other for the crash.

Perez, who could only finish four in Jeddah last time out after claiming pole – the first Mexican to ever do so – was more upbeat than Verstappen.

"It felt good. Q1, Q2 things were going good. With all the red flags, it's always very hard to keep the momentum going," he said.

"I regret a bit the decision to go into Q3 with our strategy on the tyres, but I think P3 is a decent start for tomorrow."

Elsewhere in Saturday's qualifying session, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, who has taken a record eight poles in Australia, finished fifth, narrowly behind McLaren's Lando Norris.

Kylian Mbappe is a more complete player than Erling Haaland, according to Barcelona defender Dani Alves.

Two of the hottest properties in world football, both players are heavily linked with moves away from their respective clubs.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Mbappe, who is widely believed to be heading to Real Madrid in the close season, has scored 28 goals and assisted a further 17 in 38 appearances across all competitions this term.

Meanwhile, despite a string of injuries, Haaland has been directly involved in 29 goals (scoring 23 and assisting six) for Borussia Dortmund in 2021-22.

Barcelona are among a host of clubs reportedly interested in both forwards, with Manchester City and Real Madrid also in contention to make blockbuster moves.

But if the Blaugrana are to spend big on one of them, Alves believes that Mbappe should be their main priority. 

Speaking to Sport, the veteran defender said: "Mbappe is a more complete player than Haaland in all aspects of the game.

"I wouldn't do crazy things for Haaland. Honestly, I wouldn't spend a lot of money on him.

"I would spend a lot of money on Mbappe, but not on Haaland.

"If you are going to make a giant investment, you have to do it in the best way. If it depended on me, I would bet on Mbappe."

Bruno Fernandes revealed the desire to win his first trophy at Manchester United was instrumental in his decision to sign a new long-term contract with the club.

The Portugal international put pen to paper on a fresh deal earlier this month – reportedly worth £240,000 a week – that will keep him at Old Trafford until at least 2026.

Fernandes has been a key figure for the Red Devils since his move from Sporting CP in January 2020, scoring 49 goals and assisting a further 39 in 118 appearances across all competitions.

In fact, his 88 direct goal involvements during that period have only been bettered by five players in Europe’s top five leagues.

Nevertheless, the 27-year-old is still seeking his first trophy with United, who reached last season's Europa League final and a further three semi-finals during his time at the club.

Securing Champions League qualification is the sole priority of this season, with Ralf Rangnick's side seventh in the Premier League and three points behind Tottenham in fourth.

But Fernandes is confident that happier times lie ahead at Old Trafford.

"What I've been told – the way they convinced me to stay for a longer period – [they] make me feel that the future can be brighter," he told Football Focus.

"Obviously, the individual stats are always good, but I still don't win a trophy with the club. We reached one final; we reached many semi-finals, but still no trophy. 

"For me, it's more important that we get this trophy. For every player, you want your individual trophies; you want to have that kind of award. 

"But at the end of the day, you want to win with your team-mates, with your club, with your fans. 

"I'm still not happy; that's why I want to stay at United and try to be happy in the next few years."

Steven Gerrard says Harry Kane does not need to join another team to find happiness, as it would mean more to win a trophy with Tottenham than any other club.

Kane stayed at Tottenham for the 2021-22 campaign, despite asking to leave the north London side after Manchester City made a bid reportedly in excess of £100million.

Following a slow start to the season, which many put down to his failure to seal a move away, the England skipper has regained top form since mid-December.

Indeed, since December 19, Kane has scored 14 goals and assisted five more in all competitions.

Over that timeframe, only Kylian Mbappe (20) and Karim Benzema (24) have been directly involved in more goals than Kane's 19 among players from Europe's top five leagues.

Despite the 28-year-old's impressive form in the second half of the season, Tottenham will end the campaign without any silverware as Kane's wait for a trophy goes on.

But Gerrard, who spent all but one season of his 18-year playing career with boyhood side Liverpool, hopes to see his compatriot stay at Tottenham for a while longer yet.

"I admire his loyalty to Tottenham and, of course, I'm sure it's been tempting for him on many occasions to go and take one of those options," said Aston Villa boss Gerrard.

"The Spurs fans should enjoy him and admire the loyalty he's given them. You can see a guy who is desperate for success with Tottenham and I have a lot of admiration for that.

"He might still have the chance to achieve a couple of things in his career which might mean more to him with Tottenham than anyone else because of what they have given him."

Gerrard, who came close to swapping Liverpool for Chelsea in 2005, added: "That's what it boiled down to with me. 

"The decision was, yes I could go to three or four teams in a foreign country or a couple domestically who maybe have a better chance of winning.

"But winning something with your team - the one you love and the supporters you love - I think that will mean more to him for the rest of his life than a short-term fix."

While clearly a fan of Kane, Gerrard will hope the in-form striker has a quiet day on Saturday when Villa host Tottenham in the Premier League.

Kane has scored in all three of his away league meetings with Villa for Spurs and could become the second player after Romelu Lukaku to net in four on the spin against them.

Ahead of the contest at Villa Park, Gerrard revealed his regret at not being able to play alongside Kane, who made his England debut a year after Gerrard's final cap.

"I wish I had the opportunity to play with him; you always want to play with top players," Gerrard said.

"The way he plays would have helped my game to the next level, and I've got enough confidence and belief in the way I played, I might have been able to help him. 

"I played with world-class players with England, and unfortunately, I never got the chance to play with him.

"He's the perfect captain for England right now, a world-class player and with the way he carries himself on and off the pitch."

Anthony Joshua's rematch with Oleksandr Usyk may yet be staged in the United Kingdom, according to promoter Eddie Hearn.

Usyk outclassed Joshua to claim the WBA, WBO and IBF titles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September, inflicting just a second professional defeat on his opponent.

Joshua activated his rematch clause, but plans for a second bout were thrown into doubt after Usyk returned to Ukraine to defend his homeland following the Russian invasion.

However, Usyk has now started preparing for the rematch, which his promoter Alexander Krassyuk recently revealed looked set to be staged in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking on Friday, though, Hearn said venues in the UK are still being considered, with an announcement due to be made later this month.

"We're in final negotiations for a couple of sites for either the end of June or early-to-mid-July," Hearn said. 

"I reckon within two weeks we'll have some news in terms of where that's going to be.

"An option is in the UK. The difference is, we don't really need negotiations with a venue in the UK, we just book it."