Chelsea got back to winning ways and returned to the Premier League's top four by thrashing lowly Southampton 4-0 at Stamford Bridge. (More Football News)
The pressure was on the Blues following three sౠtraight defeats in all competitions, but they had far too much quality for Ivan Juriꦑc's bottom side.
Christopher Nkunku got the ball rolling with a close-range header in the 24th minute✅, in between the out-of-form Cole Palmer squandering two decen🐠t opportunities.
Paul Onuachu worke🦩d Filip Jorgensen at the other end, then Nkunku fed Neto on the overlap to lash home for 2-0 after 36 minutꦰes.
Levi Colwill headed𒆙 Neto's deep free-kick home to make it 3-0 just before half-time, and Southampton never threatened so much as a consolation in a low-key second period.
Chelsea would add further gloss to the scoreline, though, as Marc Cucurella swept home following an assis🍒t from teenage substitute Tyrique George.
The result sees Enzo Maresca's team leapfrog Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Manchester City to go fourth, though the latter two sides are i🎀𝓰n action on Wednesday.
Southampton stay botto☂m with just nine points from 27 game𝓀s.
Data Debrief: Chelsea's supporting cast step up
Chelsea's downturn in form had coincide𓆏d with a drop-off from Palmer, with the Blues talisman maki൩ng it seven straight games without a goal involvement here.
He mi🦩ssed two good chances in the first half before working Aaron Ramsdale with a late free-kick as his struggles 🐷continued.
But fortunately for Chelse𝔍a, t🐟heir supporting cast picked up the slack.
Both Nkunku and Neto had a goal and an assist apiece. The form♐er has now done so home and away against Southampton this season, while it is the first time Neto has ever achieved that fea🔥t in the Premier League.
Chelsea also had the luxury of bringing on George in the dying stages, and at the age of 19 years and 21 days, he became the youngest Blues player to assist a Premier League goal since Callum Hudson-Odoi against Newcastle in October 2019 (18 years, 346 days).
