Enzo Maresca's Chelsea side made it four wins on the bounce, beating Southampton 5-1 in the Premier League.
Goals from Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer and Jadon Sancho secured victory for the Blues, adding another three points to their tally.
Chelsea now sit second in the Premier League, winning eight times, drawing four times, and only losing two from their opening 14 games. The Blues sit on 28 points, seven away from Liverpool in first, which continues to beg the question of whether they are in the title race this season.
There were plenty of top performances from the Blues, but one that stood out, was Nkunku, who started ahead of Nicolas Jackson up front and didn't disappoint with his performance.
Christopher Nkunku's performance in numbers
The Frenchman was able to add to his growing goal tally, despite playing as second fiddle so far this season to Jackson upfront, now netting 12 times in his 21 appearances, also with two assists in his 882 minutes played.
MixCollage-04-Dec-2024-11-24-PM-566
Alongside his goal and assist, the Frenchman completed one of his two dribble attempts, made two key passes, took four shots, and completed 14 of his 15 passes (93% completion).
Despite the brilliant performance from the 27-year-old forward, he wasn't the best player on the pitch, as another one of Chelsea's French talents shone, returning to the side after missing the last few games.
Malo Gusto's performance in numbers
Malo Gusto played once again in his inverted right-back role, joining Moises Caicedo in midfield, and forming something of a 2-2-5-1 shape on the ball for Maresca's Blues.
His performance earned him a 7/10 match rating from The Standard, after another dynamic display from the Frenchman.
FFC Performance in Numbers
Performance in Numbers
Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.
The 21-year-old has become a key figure in Maresca's tactical plans, using his positional flexibility to configure different shapes against different opposition, in order to give Chelsea the advantage in games.
So far this season, Gusto has made 13 appearances, providing two assists, and totalling 880 minutes played.
Malo Gusto vs Southampton performance
Stat
Minutes
Touches
Accurate Passes
Assists
Key Passes
Long Balls
Ground Duels Won
Tackles
Interceptions
Clearances
Stats taken from Sofascore
Gusto was brilliant defensively in this game, making seven tackles and winning all seven of his ground duels (100%). His ability to recover and defend whilst retreating, defend 1v1 areas out wide, and also counter press when the ball is lost, certainly gives Chelsea an edge out of possession.
But the defender also offers security on the ball, circulating play nicely, keeping it simple to bring his teammates into play, and even providing an assist towards the end of the game.
MixCollage-04-Dec-2024-11-24-PM-1448
The blend of athleticism and off-ball qualities with his technical security and ability on the ball is exactly why Maresca uses him so frequently to solve problems.
With Tottenham up next at the weekend, the decision for Maresca will be whether to return to Caicedo playing as an inverted full-back to get all three of him, Roméo Lavia and Enzo Fernández in the team together, or whether Gusto will retain his spot, meaning one midfielder has to make way instead.
Chelsea-Mudryk-upgrade Related
Chelsea want to sign £46m Arsenal target who's far better than Mudryk
Mudryk's time at Chelsea could be up if they sign this "great" star.