Chelsea have continued their stellar start to the season with their latest 5-1 triumph over Southampton in the Premier League.
The victory was Chelsea's eighth league win this term as they climbed to second in the table after Enzo Maresca made seven changes to his team. They are now seven points from leaders Liverpool who drew 3-3 at Newcastle United.
Axel Disasi opened the scoring with a header from a corner early on before Joe Aribo equalised for Saints, moments later. The hosts' poor play allowed Chelsea to regain their advantage with both Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke scoring before the break.
Although the second-half was more of a low-key affair, Cole Palmer and Jadon Sancho added to their goals tally. Despite scoring five goals, the Blues could have come away from the south coast with a lot more.
"I am very happy with the five we scored," Maresca said post-match. "I'm not happy with the first 20 minutes where we struggled. We prepared to press them man-to-man and we did not do that. After 15 or 20 minutes, we adjusted that and the game was much better.
"We are very happy but Cole, Joao, they are players that can see different things that the others are not able to see. It doesn't mean the rest are not good."
READ MORE: Chelsea next five fixtures compared to Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal in title race
READ MORE: Premier League forced to release two VAR statements in Southampton vs Chelsea game
Chelsea have become an exciting side to watch and fans are loving their team's progress under Maresca. So much so that the Italian manager received a message at full-time. "We've got our Chelsea back," the away end chanted.
Among the chants, Maresca's name was also heard from supporters. "It was a very good feeling," Maresca told Amazon's Prime Video.
"You can see they are happy, that is our target, we work every day to keep them happy. Tonight was a very good feeling. They can see Chelsea is back and this is an important thing.
"I think it's a good feeling, not only for the owners but for the players, club and the fans. A good feeling for all of us. The results, for sure, help us a lot to calm down noise around the club. It's a good feeling to see the fans happy."
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Premier League