5 things we learned: Liverpool come crashing down at Swansea

Chelsea avert full crisis mode with a convincing win

The Chelsea board will have to lay off the panic button, at least for another week, as the Blues put an end to a five-game winless streak with a convincing away win at Brighton. Antonio Conte reverted to the tried and true 3-4-3 formation used during last year’s league-winning campaign. Chelsea’s win in and of itself is not a surprising story by any means; what’s surprising is the four-goal margin of victory, considering that Chelsea could only manage one goal in their prior four games.

That the 4-0 victory came without the Spanish trio of Alvaro Morata, Pedro and Cesc Fabregas only makes it more impressive. It’s unlikely we can expect the same kind of scoring output versus better quality opponents and without Morata’s presence on the field. It’s somewhat encouraging to see this type of production coming from the likes of Willian. That should quell the bizarre transfer rumors linking the Blues to the likes of Peter Crouch, Andy Carroll and Ashley Barnes.

Just as the winless streak may have been exaggerated in terms of squad performance versus the actual results on the scoreboard, so should this significant margin of victory be taken with a grain of salt. The reality is that Chelsea’s performances have been good enough this season to solidify a place in the top four, but certainly not good enough to challenge for the title.