Chelsea continued their fine recent form with a 5-1 victory away to struggling Southampton to go second on goal difference.

They went in front early on through Axel Disasi’s header but were quickly pegged back as Joe Aribo fired home an equaliser for the home side.

The away side reclaimed the lead through goals from Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke, before Cole Palmer and substitute Jadon Sancho added further gloss in the second half.

A miserable night for Southampton was made more difficult when Jack Stephens was shown a red card by the referee in the first half following a VAR review, after an entanglement with Marc Cucurella.

The result sees Chelsea move up to second, while Southampton remain at the foot of the table.

How the match unfolded

The home side had a glorious chance within the first two minutes of the match, but Filip Jorgensen made a fantastic save to deny Aribo from close range. Just minutes later, they were left to rue that missed opportunity as Disasi got in ahead of keeper Joe Lumley and headed in from a corner to put Chelsea in front.

But the Saints weren’t behind for long, as Aribo made up for his earlier miss with an easy finish after Kyle Walker-Peters supplied a neat cut back from the left.

Despite the league’s bottom side performing competitively, their lapses in concentration at the back were their undoing. Lumley’s ill-judged pass to Walker-Peters saw Madueke nick the ball off him before finding Nkunku to slot into an empty net.

Madueke was a constant threat down the right and later curled a confident finish into the far corner. It got even worse for the hosts before half-time, with the referee giving Stephens a red card for violent conduct following a VAR review after the Saints captain had pulled Cucurella's hair.

The second half continued in the same vein, with Tosin Adarabioyo thrashing a shot against the post and Madueke having two further efforts saved.

With 15 minutes to go, Palmer extended Chelsea’s lead with an easy finish before Sancho capped an impressive night for the visitors.

Sorry Saints continue poor run at foot of the table

Despite their position in the table, Russell Martin would have been encouraged by recent performances against Liverpool and Brighton, in which his side had been competitive and perhaps deserved more than their solitary point.

But, apart from a frenetic opening in which Aribo scored and missed a wonderful opportunity, they were second-best.

Defensive errors, regrettably a trademark of Martin’s side this season, were on full display again. Lumley’s playing out from the back led to Nkunku putting Chelsea back in front and also created other openings for their opponents.

The Saints were cut open on far too many occasions, predominantly in the first half, and they are now already in serious danger of being cut adrift in the fight to stave off relegation, seven points from safety with 14 matches played.

Their next league match is an away trip to Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.

Maresca rotates but Blues still shine

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca made seven changes from the side that beat Aston Villa on Sunday, but that did nothing to disrupt his side’s fluency and attacking flair.

The returning Madueke was a menace for the Saints' defence, getting on the scoresheet but also having other chances in the second half. Joao Felix also dovetailed with Palmer in central attacking areas.

A new-look back four was rarely troubled but Jorgensen, making his league debut, was still called upon to make a vital early save to deny the home side. Adarabiyo and Disasi had little to do at the back and were a threat when attacking set pieces.

Their strength in depth in the attacking areas was highlighted with Nicolas Jackson being rested for the entire match, while Sancho came off the bench to grab his first goal for the club.

This emphatic away win will be another boost for Maresca’s side before a trip to rivals Tottenham at the weekend.

Club reports

Southampton report | Chelsea report

Referee: Tony Harrington. Assistants: Mat Wilkes, Steve Meredith. Fourth official: Simon Hooper. VAR: Matt Donohue. Assistant VAR: Sian Massey-Ellis.