Chelsea were frustrated for 64 minutes of Saturday's Premier League clash with Newcastle by their hosts' low block.
But then Reece James opened the scoring with a left-footed volley. Just 13 minutes later, the England international put the game to bed with an opportunistic, but well-executed, first-time shot to make it 2-0.
Tellingly, no Chelsea player has been involved in more goals this season than James, who couldn't have picked a better time to step up to the mark, given his side's injury crisis in attack.
After the match, which finished 3-0 to the visitors thanks to Jorginho's late penalty, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel joked: "We don't need [to do] shooting exercises with Reece. He shoots like a horse!"
There were even some calls for him to take the spot-kick, which was won by Kai Havertz, but a two-goal haul was a pretty decent return for a wing-back.
Indeed, the 21-year-old academy product is now the club's joint-top scorer in all competitions with Romelu Lukaku (four apiece). In addition, he has the second-most assists of any Blues player, with three.
Of course, it's not just James who's been chipping in with goals from wing-back; Ben Chilwell and Marcos Alonso have also been doing their bit this season.
Tuchel's system is obviously a contributing factor, given it affords the wing-backs the chance to get forward, and James made more crosses than any other player on the pitch in the opening 45 minutes at St James' Park.
However, the German also made a subtle but match-winning tactical switch that paved the way for James' decisive contributions.
When Reece James scores a 𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗥 👻 pic.twitter.com/0h8rwDeQgd
— Goal (@goal) October 30, 2021
He asked his No.6, N'Golo Kante, to switch positions with the wing-back, putting James and his physical presence closer to the box and moving the France international out wide.
That change, along with the substitutions of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley, upset Newcastle's physical, defensive set-up.
The net result was that James was given even more time and space to show off his finishing skills, which was just as well, given the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Havertz are still struggling to locate the back of the net.
"Maybe I should try them as wing-backs," Tuchel quipped afterwards.
Even before kick-off, Tuchel had been acknowledging the importance of his wing backs in his 3-4-3 formation, which has inspired such an upturn in Chelsea's form since his appointment as Frank Lampard's replacement in January.
"It's a very important position in the system we play," Tuchel told reporters. "A very important part of the position is to arrive in the box and to create a goal threat from that position – not just be the ball-possession guy on the side or to be responsible for ball control.
"So, this is what we want and what we demand. And I'm happy that Chilly is growing into his full potential and pushing the limits constantly because, in my opinion, [wing-back] fits pretty perfectly with his player profile.
"For Reecey, you see sometimes he plays in the backline of three. I would not do this with Chilly. In terms of character, he's not a guy who can play in the back three. He takes a little more risk, as he feels a little freer arriving in offensive positions.
Chelsea go three points clear at the top of the Premier League 🔥
— Goal (@goal) October 30, 2021
𝘼 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣. pic.twitter.com/yeWlgOTPxZ
"For Reecey, we have to encourage him to trust himself to arrive in the box and be dangerous because he can be a real threat positionally but also technically.
"There have been some fantastic goals, against Arsenal and against Norwich. The finishing and the technical ability has been brilliant but they still need to feel their way into it, to understand the game and know when they have to arrive in the box and when they have to provide protection around the box.
"The more they understand it, the more natural it becomes. The less they think about it, the better it gets. But I'm happy with everybody. Marcos was very strong at the beginning. Chilly is now very strong. Reecey, very strong."
It's impossible to disagree, given before James's run of three goals in two games, Chilwell had been on a run of four goals in four games. As for Alonso, he turned in a brilliant performance against Southampton in midweek and has long been famous for his goalscoring prowess.
Chelsea's three-goal triumph at Newcastle may have come against a relegation-threatened side, but it is still a notable feat in light of their striking issues - and the loss of last weekend's hat-trick hero Mason Mount to illness just before kick-off.
The Blues could have struggled during this busy period without their most recognisable and reliable goalscorers, but they have now opened up a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League thanks to their incredible ability to win matches from wing-back.
