Even Timo Werner scored.
Chelsea ripped through Southampton in an astonishing 6-0 victory in response to back-to-back defeats over the past week.
Werner grabbed a brace as Thomas Tuchel’s side ran riot, with Marcos Alonso, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz also boosting their confidence ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League rescue mission at Real Madrid.
After a thorough dressing down from Tuchel following Wednesday’s defeat to the Spanish side, the Blues squad arrived needing to put on a show - but even the German would not have been expecting this.
The visitors were without captain Cesar Azpilicueta following a positive Covid test while Romelu Lukaku was absent from the squad after failing a late fitness test.
Tuchel said this week that he knew things were going wrong against Madrid from the first minute, but there were no such worries here as Chelsea made a lightning start.
Werner struck a post after a counter attack after just three minutes, firing an early warning shot Southampton’s way.
With Azpilicueta out and Reece James named on the bench, Tuchel turned to Ruben Loftus-Cheek to fill in at right wing-back. The midfielder proved an instant hit in his new role and should have had an assist when crossing for Werner, who headed onto the bar from six yards out.
Southampton refused to learn their lesson from the let off, allowing Loftus-Cheek to move forward a minute later and lift a cross into the unmarked Mount, who collected the ball on his chest and flicked it over his shoulder into the path of Alonso.
The Spaniard finished low through the legs of Fraser Forster to settle any lingering nerves from a harrowing week.
From there, Chelsea were utterly ruthless, taking every ounce of frustration from the last week out on Southampton - who couldn’t have been more welcoming.
First they stood off to allow Mount to pick his spot and finish low from the edge of the box past Forster, before they began actively trying to boost Chelsea’s confidence.
James Ward-Prowse appeared to notice that - having hit the post twice - Werner could do with a helping hand.
The England international sent a shocking header over his own back four and into the space for Werner to attack, the forward rounding the Southampton goalkeeper and tucking away Chelsea’s third after just 21 minutes.
The Blues had to wait an entire 10 minutes for number four. Mohamed Salisu folded under pressure from Kai Havertz and Werner on the edge of the box, allowing the latter to rob possession and drive forward.
Werner struck the woodwork for a third time, with Havertz ready and waiting to tidy up the rebound and send thousands of home fans towards the bars in the concourse.
Forster then had to be alert to stop Salisu heading one into his own net from a Chelsea corner on the brink of half time.
Ralph Hasenhuttl ripped into his players at the break and made a second change of the afternoon, but Chelsea were quickly back on the warpath - Werner tapping in his second after Forster had parried an effort from the unmarked N’Golo Kante.
The Southampton goalkeeper was left frothing at the mount once more minutes later when, after he made a double save from Christian Pulisic and Werner, the Southampton defence still allowed Mount to fire home a sixth.
Real Madrid may not quite be quaking in their boots having watched this but Tuchel could hardly have asked for a better afternoon to ensure spirits are high as Chelsea look to pull off the remarkable on Tuesday.
