Chelsea ended their three game losing streak with a comfortable 4-0 win over Southampton at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
The Blues were back to their best with a dominating display that saw goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Levi Colwill in the first half.
Marc Cucurella then sealed the win with a late goal that made Enzo Maresca’s pre-match prediction of a tough game redundant.
Despite struggles this season, Chelsea were a different animal to Southampton who have now lost 12 of their last 14 Premier League games.
This win puts Chelsea back in the top four but Manchester City and Newcastle United can still overtake them if they win tomorrow night.
Match Stats
Southampton’s demoralised coach Ivan Juric said before the game that there was a huge gap between the two teams.
He described Chelsea as a top team with top players.
The first 20 minutes were tense before Chelsea took over.
Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer were a nightmare to play against in the opposition’s bright yellow kit. They communicated like they were navigating through neon lit markers on the pitch.
Palmer’s close range shot was saved by Aaron Ramsdale.
This led to a corner that resulted in Nkunku’s opener after 24 minutes. Tosin Adarabioyo directed the ball towards the back post and Nkunku nodded it in.
Southampton had their moments. Paul Onuachu, the towering centre forward, forced Filip Jorgensen into a great save in the first half.
But Chelsea added a second just before half time when Pedro Neto scored. He used his pace to beat Nkunku on the left and fired in a first time shot that split the keeper.
Chelsea then finished the half with a dominant header from Levi Colwill.
Colwill, a Southampton boy who now commutes into London, showed his versatility and commitment.
The second half was a slow burn, but Marc Cucurella got Chelsea going again with a crucial goal. He scored from a long counter attack that came from a Southampton corner.Cucurella coolly passed the cutback from Tyrique George into the bottom corner.
The 40,000 or so fans in the stadium cheered.
Watch the match highlights below.