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Football London
Football London
Sport
Anita Abayomi

Timo Werner and Marcos Alonso make the difference as Chelsea restores Champions League hope

Chelsea's redemption story begins now. It has been a tough week for the Blues, but they seem to be heading back on track. I cannot be certain, but following the events on the south coast, the Blues might have had the rude awakening they needed.

It's no secret that Thomas Tuchel wanted a reaction considering Chelsea's 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League. The Blues took to Southampton, where they would need to get all three points to prove their mentality to the manager and to the fans worldwide. They did just that with Timo Werner in attack.

READ MORE: Timo Werner makes Chelsea statement to Thomas Tuchel as ace adds to Southampton goal tally

Chelsea beat Southampton 6-0 over the weekend. The energy within the team mimicked the level that was expected of them last week when they faced Brentford. They were more compact, harder to press and lethal in attack, all of the qualities that were missing from the team for a week. Chelsea fans travelled in their thousands and made their voices heard in the away end. Round of "Super Tommy Tuchel" chants circulated at St Mary's stadium.

The mentality of the players to bounce back in such an emphatic manner was the most impressive aspect of the win. This group of players were subject to scrutiny throughout the week, yet they went out and showed the world exactly why they are the Champions of Europe.

Kai Havertz put on another one of his big-game performances whilst Mason Mount took the game by the scruff of the neck to ensure that Chelsea went home with the three points. Considering that Mount and Havertz both started against Brentford and Real Madrid, I expected nothing less from the pair to want to take out their frustrations with some goals. We can argue that Mount should be hailed as the man of the match today, but in all honesty, I'd give it to Werner.

Man of The Match

Werner has had a difficult time under Tuchel this season, and it seems as though he is in constant need to prove himself. He managed to grab two goals against Southampton, which was unsurprising. The German's record against the Saints is quite impressive. Five goals in four games.

Having been sidelined for so long, it was going to take a lot for Werner to turn up the way he did. Things were not going his way; hitting the post twice before scoring. However, he kept going even after he acquired his two goals. I've got to give it to him, and he really knows how to exploit a high line.

Honourable Mention

Havertz is what I call a mentality monster. I saw the determination on his face against Real Madrid, and now I've seen it again against Southampton. He is the big game player that fans have been crying out for. He may have only scored one goal against the Saints, but he was pivotal in the attack.

Another honourable mention goes to Marcos Alonso, who, like Werner, was also sidelined against Real Madrid. Scoring Chelsea's opening goal, it was far from a surprise that Alonso ended up on the score sheet. If he was given the facilities, I've always said he would be an amazing second striker.

Over To Madrid

Chelsea travels to Madrid on Tuesday, and I can only hope that they take this mentality into the match. It will be tough to come back from 3-1, but after today, fans, including myself, feel much more confident going into it. Bring on the Champions League.

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