Chelsea earned their biggest home victory since January to cruise past AC Milan 3-0 and win for the first time in the Champions League this season.
£70 million signing Wesley Fofana swept in his first goal for the club after 24 minutes to send new manager Graham Potter on his way to the first win of his career in the competition.
After Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck from Reece James' 56th-minute cross, the defender lashed in his side's third shortly afterwards.
The hosts' impressive performance sent them above Milan on goal difference in second place in Group E ahead of their trip to the San Siro on Tuesday.
The Rossoneri should have scored with their only shot on target, Rade Krunic blazing over the bar from close range on the stroke of half-time.
Chelsea outclass abject Milan
Milan's only defeat of the season had come against
Serie A leaders Napoli and Stefano Pioli's side arrived on an eight-game unbeaten away run with a chance to go two points clear at the top of the table.
This may not have been a must-win game for Chelsea but a draw would have left them three points behind Milan and RB Salzburg, who they visit in their next two Champions League matches.
Making his first start under Potter, centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly
had an uncertain start to the game and there was an early warning sign when Rafael Leao broke free inside the penalty area.
By the 20-minute mark, Milan had run a kilometre more than Chelsea and looked the more dangerous.
Thiago Silva made 119 appearances for Milan between 2009 and 2012 and the veteran changed the momentum by forcing two saves in as many minutes from Ciprian Tatarusanu.
The stand-in goalkeeper could only parry the second of the Brazilian's headers into his goalmouth, allowing Fofana - substituted shortly afterwards through injury - the chance to steer a shot into the far corner of the net.Chelsea had almost total control from that point, although Krunic spurned a sitter when the ball rolled to him at point-blank range following a shot by Charles De Ketelaere that was saved by Kepa.
Hampered by a litany of injuries, Milan looked uncharacteristically lacking in leadership and resilience. Still, Chelsea's most emphatic home win since a 5-1 FA Cup victory over Chesterfield nine months ago was the perfect way to put their European ambitions back on track.
Centurion James makes mark
Trent Alexander Arnold gave his critics a night off with a goal and a fine defensive display in Liverpool's win over Rangers on Tuesday.
Reece James is clearly well in front of his fellow right-back in the England reckoning and a near-complete performance at both ends of the pitch showed why against dangerous opposition, who had taken four points from their first two Champions League games.
On his 100th start for Chelsea, the 22-year-old had more difficulty with Leao during the first half, with the Portugal attacker's persistent run leading to those chances for De Ketelaere and Krunic.
There were no such difficulties for James from that point on, repeatedly dispossessing Leao and setting off towards the Milan penalty area in search of crosses.
The delivery for Aubameyang's goal was a precise one, helped by one of James' rivals for England selection, Fikayo Tomori, failing to follow the striker's movement effectively and clumsily lifting out a leg as if he knew he had no prospect of intercepting the ball.
Aubameyang would have appreciated James' composure for the third goal, meeting Raheem Sterling's pass inside the penalty area on the right and setting himself before lifting a fierce shot past Tatarusanu from a tight angle.Trevoh Chalobah replaced Fofana to productive effect and Ben Chilwell performed well but James was the best of an English group who are showing signs of flourishing further under Potter, with Sterling, Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek contributing strongly and Conor Gallagher coming on before the end.
On this form, James is a sure starter against Iran on November 21 and could be one of England's most important players at the finals.
Chelsea vs. AC Milan final score
1H2HFinalChelsea 123AC Milan000
Goals:
CHE - Fofana (24th Min)
CHE - Aubameyang (56th Min)
CHE - James (62nd Min)
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