The young Blues made the perfect start, stamping our authority on the game from the outset as top scorer Chizaram Ezenwata found the net just six minutes in to register his 15th Under-18 Premier League goal of the campaign.

Momentum stayed firmly with Chelsea, captain Dante Waite getting the second as we continued to dictate proceedings. Sol Gordon, fresh from scoring in the previous outing, added a second before the half-hour mark, finishing off a clever set-piece move to make it 3-0.

The pressure did not relent. Lewi Richards soon joined them on the score sheet, tapping home to cap a ruthless first-half performance and send Chelsea into the interval with a commanding 4-0 lead.

It took just over 10 minutes after the restart for the Blues to strike again, with Mathis Eboue adding a fifth after collecting his eighth league goal of the season. Richards then rounded off the scoring with a superb second strike of his own, sealing a complete performance and a convincing 6-0 victory for Chelsea.

Wasting no time

Chelsea made a fast start, immediately pressing Southampton back into their own half. Our first chance came from a trademark Richards delivery, as his inswinging corner found Olutayo Subuloye at close range, but Dylan Moody reacted well to make the save.

We broke the deadlock soon after with a superb counter-attack. Ezenwata played a beautifully weighted long-ball out to Gordon, who used his pace and power to outstrip his marker before squaring low across goal. Ezenwata continued his run and applied a composed finish from the centre of the box to beat the Saints keeper and give the Blues an early lead - a slick, clinical move.

Chelsea looked threatening with every attack. Moments later, we came close to doubling our advantage through Eboue, who drove into the area from the flank and unleashed a powerful effort that crashed against the far post, giving the hosts a narrow escape.

It was all Chelsea. Reggie Walsh was next to test the Saints defence, striking from distance with a venomous effort that skimmed across the face of goal.

Adding more

A second goal felt inevitable, and it arrived soon after. Another Richards set-piece caused problems, as his whipped corner was met by captain Waite, whose powerful header left Moody with no chance and doubled our lead after a dominant opening.

The Blues continued to control proceedings and soon added a third. A cleverly worked short corner found Richards, who picked out Gordon inside the area. The winger made no mistake, firing a composed finish into the bottom corner to claim his eighth league goal of the season.

There was no let-up. Chelsea struck again before long, with Eboue at the heart of the move. The winger produced a brilliant solo run down the flank, driving into the penalty area before firing goalwards, with Richards on hand to ensure the ball was turned into the net and secure our fourth.

The Blues remained in complete control, dominating possession and dictating the tempo as we saw out a perfect first-half performance, heading into the break with an emphatic 4-0 lead.

Fantastic five

We came out for the second period with the same intensity we showed in the first. Walsh had the first real chance, curling a stunning effort that looked destined for the top corner, but it drifted just inches wide, giving Moody an early escape.

We added to the score sheet soon after, with Eboue getting his reward after a sustained spell of pressure. Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli was involved, linking play before finding Calvin Diakite, who slipped a neat pass into Eboue. The winger drove into the area and fired a powerful finish beyond the keeper to make it 5-0 to the Blues.

Southampton responded with their first real threat, as Fabio Sainsbury struck a powerful effort from just inside the box. Hudson Sands was called into action for the first time, reacting well to push the shot away with a strong save.

Super strike

As we entered the final 10 minutes of normal time, Richards capped his performance with a stunning second goal. The move came from a quick one-two with midfielder Walsh, before the right-back unleashed a powerful strike from inside the area that flew into the top corner. It was an unstoppable effort - an outstanding finish.

We remained in control throughout the closing stages, with substitute Kobe Barbour continuing to trouble the Southampton defence as we pushed for further goals. The Blues saw out the game professionally, kept a clean sheet and wrapped up a strong all-round performance to secure all three points.

The result extends our unbeaten run to seven matches in the Under-18 Premier League, as we take another important victory back to Cobham.

What it means

Following this result, Chelsea remain top of the Under-18 Premier League South table, securing our 17th league win of the campaign and moving to 55 points - five points ahead of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

What is next

Chelsea will continue our Under-18 Premier League campaign with our second away trip of the week, facing London rivals Fulham on Saturday 18 April, with an 11am kick-off. Supporters worldwide can watch the match live on the Chelsea Official App and website, free of charge.

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Hudson Sands; Lewi Richards, Dante Waite (c), Olutayo Subuloye, Calvin Diakite; Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli (Ibrahim Rabbaj 62), Landon Emenalo (Isaac Badu 33), Reggie Walsh; Sol Gordon, Chizaram Ezenwata (Jashayde Greenwood 62), Mathis Eboue (Kobe Barbour 59)
Unused sub: Toby Bell
Scorers: Ezenwata 6, Waite 15, Gordon 24, Richards 31, 83, Eboue 56
Booked: Gordon 16

Southampton (4-2-3-1): Dylan Moody, Fabio Sainsbury, Jake Vallance, Lewis Day, Broghan Sewell (c) (Calum Anderson 70), Archie Lovatt, Marley Parry (Korban McMullan h-t), George Kift (Oliver Newman h-t), Jude Daniels, Luke Hawe, Max Little
Unused sub: Panganayi Kuzanga, George Wells
Booked: Daniels 68