Chelsea revival continues with 4-1 league win at Southampton

SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) — Chelsea’s revival under Frank Lampard continued Sunday with a 4-1 Premier League win at Southampton that stretched the team’s winning run to four games across all competitions.

Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and N’Golo Kanté scored in the first half, before Christian Pulisic set up fellow substitute Michy Batshuayi for Chelsea’s fourth goal in the 89th minute.

Callum Hudson-Odoi returned for his first Premier League start of the season in the only change Lampard made to the side that defeated Lille 2-1 away in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Hudson-Odoi, who had been laboring with an Achilles problem, set up the visitors’ first goal in the 17th minute. Abraham got there just ahead of Angus Gunn and lifted it over the goalkeeper with the ball crossing the line before Maya Yoshida could clear.

Mount claimed Chelsea’s second in the 24th thanks to some lax defending from the home side after Jorginho and Willian linked up to send him through.

But Danny Ings pulled one back against the run of play in the 30th after Yan Valery eluded three Chelsea defenders and crossed for Ings at the near post.

Kanté restored the visitors’ two-goal lead in the 40th with a deflected shot.

Fikayo Tomori, called up by England for the first time for upcoming European Championship qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, almost gifted Southampton a goal before the break, when Ings seized upon his attempted back pass. Ings rounded Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa but Jorginho got back to block his shot.

Gunn’s outstretched foot denied Hudson-Odoi after the break. Hudson-Odoi made way for Pulisic in the 80th, his first appearance other than the League Cup since Aug. 31.

The United States midfielder brilliantly set up former Borussia Dortmund teammate Batshuayi to complete the scoring by dinking the ball in behind the Southampton defense. Batshuayi fired the ball through Gunn’s legs.

The win lifted Chelsea to fifth place after eight rounds, just behind Leicester on goal difference.