Chelsea have roared back to form, as two goals each by Timo Werner and Mason Mount, and first-half strikes by Marcos Alonso and Kai Havertz sealed a 6-0 Premier League win over Southampton at St Mary's Stadium.
Chelsea went up 1-0 in the eighth minute, as Alonso ran on to a deft flick by Mount and blasted in his first league goal since the opening day of the campaign.
Mount - Chelsea's leading scorer in the league this season - equalled his tally of nine goals from the previous campaign with a superb shot from outside the box, after Southampton's shaky defence failed to deal with Ruben Loftus-Cheek's cross.
Southampton's implosion continued, as Werner made up for his earlier misses by beating Jan Bednarek for pace, before rounding Fraser Forster and finishing into an empty net. Havertz then swept in Chelsea's fourth, after Werner hit the post again.
Southampton conceded four or more in the first half of a league game for the seventh time under Ralph Hasenhuettl, raising fears among home fans of another humiliation along the lines of 9-0 defeats by Leicester City and Manchester United in previous seasons.
A relentless Chelsea were rewarded again after the break, as Werner tapped in a rebound from N'Golo Kante's effort, which was saved by Forster. Mount completed the rout with another simple finish in the 54th minute.
"It gives us confidence to get back winning and have that feeling," said Mount. "I said before, every game is a final and that started today - we need to carry this on."
The performance was the perfect tonic for the European champions, who were beaten 3-1 by Real Madrid in the opening leg of their Champions League quarter-final, after being thrashed 4-1 by Brentford last weekend.
Victory also helped Chelsea maintain their push for a top-four finish, with Thomas Tuchel's side third on the table, with 62 points from 30 matches. They visit Madrid on Tuesday, before next weekend's FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace.
"It was a good performance and a well deserved win," said Tuchel. "It's a tough stadium to come to, but we made it look easy.
"In possession, we were focused, so it's a good performance and an excellent result.
"We wanted to play with the same attitude, but we have a lot of matches in the legs, so we managed the game after that. It's easier when you lead than when you are down, but it was a good mentality."
A deflated Southampton, who are 13th with 36 points, welcome Arsenal next Saturday.
TOP-FOUR HOPES HIT
Manchester United and Arsenal's Premier League top-four hopes have hit by defeats.
United suffered a 1-0 loss to struggling Everton at Goodison Park, while Arsenal were handed a surprise 2-1 home defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion.
The results were a major boost for Tottenham Hotspur, who were fourth on 54 points before their trip to Aston Villa.
Arsenal are also on 54 points, with West Ham United and Manchester United both on 51 points.
Out of all cup competitions, United needed a victory at Frank Lampard's struggling Everton to kick-start their bid to return to the Champions League.
But after a promising start from the visitors, Everton grabbed the lead through Anthony Gordon's shot, which deflected off Harry Maguire and beat the wrong-footed David De Gea in the United goal.
Everton, whose midweek defeat at Burnley left them a point and a place above the relegation zone, showed real grit and determination to hang on to their lead, while United looked totally lacking in a coherent gameplan.
A late Cristiano Ronaldo effort was as close as United came to an equaliser, as they slipped to a loss that left English football's most successful club languishing seventh on the table.
Everton moved four points clear of 18th-placed Burnley, who travel to Norwich City on Sunday.
Arsenal suffered a second straight loss, as Brighton ended their seven-match winless run, with Zambian midfielder Enock Mwepu scoring one goal and creating another.
Brighton opened the scoring, when a long ball found Mwepu on the flank and he picked out Leandro Trossard, who curled past Aaron Ramsdale.
Arsenal made tactical shifts that showed signs of turning the game around, but they were dealt a decisive blow, when Mwepu drilled home a half-volley from the edge of the box.
Martin Odegaard provided a late slither of hope in the 89th minute, with a long-range shot that took a wicked deflection and looped over goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to give Arsenal a lifeline, but Brighton held on.
American manager Jesse Marsch saw his Leeds United take a big step towards Premier League survival, with a 3-0 victory over Watford at Vicarage Road.
Marsch has had a positive impact at the Yorkshire club since taking over from Marcelo Bielsa, and goals from Raphinha, Rodrigo and Jack Harrison condemned the hosts to a ninth straight home defeat.
Leeds are in 16th place with 33 points. Watford are 19th with 22 points, six points from safety.
Reuters
