Chelsea thumped hapless Southampton 4-0 on Tuesday, with scorers from all over the pitch, to climb to fourth in the Premier League and keep the visitors pinned to the bottom of the table.
The win takes the west London side to 46 points, two points above Manchester City and Newcastle United who respectively play at Tottenham Hotspur and leaders Liverpool on Wednesday.
With no out-and-out striker because of an injury to Nicolas Jackson, Chelsea have been struggling for goals and needed defenders as well as forwards to step up.
They were in control from the start, though, and barely a minute after Aaron Ramsdale saved a Cole Palmer shot with his feet, Christopher Nkunku bundled the ball in at the back post after a corner and nod down from defender Tosin Adarabioyo.
France striker Nkunku then turned provider by slipping a neat pass to Chelsea’s Portugal winger Pedro Neto who fired a powerful left-foot shot between Ramsdale and the near post.
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Central defender Levi Colwill made it 3-0 just before half-time, heading down a Neto free kick, and Spain wing back Marc Cucurella converted a pinpoint pass from 19-year-old substitute Tyrique George in the 78th minute.
Chelsea had lost four of their previous five games in all competitions before Tuesday’s match, dropping to seventh.
“The reaction we definitely needed it,” Colwill told broadcaster TNT. “Hopefully we can pick up form a bit more and see what happens in the next game.”
One disappointment on an otherwise morale-boosting night for Chelsea was the form of their talisman Palmer, who again failed to capitalise on good chances and endured a frustrating seventh game in a row without a goal.
Ramsdale made sharp saves in the last 10 minutes to deny Palmer and Enzo Fernández or the score could have been more.
Southampton’s 22nd defeat of the season leaves them 13 points from the safety zone, while Chelsea’s win means thy can hang on to hopes of Champions League football next season.
