Chelsea put a terrible week behind them to return to winning ways in devastating style with a six-goal demolition of Southampton.

Having been beaten 4-1 at home to Brentford in the Premier League and then suffering a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid, Chelsea bounced back in a manner that will give Thomas Tuchel encouragement his side can salvage their Champions League tie in Spain next week.

Tuchel said before kick-off that “things are upside down” after two damaging results but his players responded by hitting the woodwork three times and scoring four in an astonishing first half at St Mary’s Stadium.

Timo Werner hit the post and then headed against the bar inside the opening seven minutes before Marcos Alonso fired the visitors ahead after Mason Mount’s assist.

England midfielder Mount’s clean finish from outside the box doubled the lead and then Werner was thwarted by Fraser Forster’s fine save as Southampton unravelled in front of their own fans.

Werner was soon celebrating his first Premier League goal for six months after bursting through and finishing before Kai Havertz made it 4-0 with a tap-in after Germany team-mate Werner hit the woodwork for a third time.

Southampton were blown away and it required a remarkable one-handed stop by Forster to prevent an own goal by Mohammed Salisu before half-time.

However, the Saints did concede a fifth in the 49th minute, Werner tapping home his second after N’Golo Kante had been thwarted.

Mount made it six from close range on an embarrassing afternoon for Ralph Hasenhuttl and his Southampton players.