Chelsea 6-0 Qarabag: Eden Hazard returns to action as Davide Zappacosta rocket helps Antonio Conte's side to open Champions League account in style

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Sterner tests await, that is certain, but Chelsea made an emphatic return to the Champions League and may have discovered a new cult hero.

Davide Zappacosta marked his home debut with an outrageous goal. In truth, it was a fluke and yet it lifted Stamford Bridge and stunned Qarabag, the minnows from Azerbaijan.

Never mind Diego Costa, still AWOL amid reports he was in Madrid inching towards a move to Atletico, all hail Zappacosta with his striking surname and apparent mastery of the cleverly-disguised cross.

Chelsea took an early lead with Pedro stroking in his first goal of the season following a short corner involving Willian

Pedro's goal settled any nerves within the Chelsea camp with three points against the Azerbaijani champions in west London

The Spaniard wheels away towards the touchline clearly delighted with his composed finish in the opening five minutes

Davide Zappacosta looked as though he meant his strike from out wide on the right after beating two men and finding the net

Cesar Azpilicueta was unmarked as he guided a close range header into the centre of the goal from Cesc Fabregas' cross

Tiemoue Bakayoko celebrates scoring his first goal for the club by slamming in from close range as Qarabag fell apart

Michy Batshuayi slammed in Chelsea's fifth following more slack defending from their opponents as the floodgates opened

His strike was the second of the night and he was still charging up the flank to create the sixth for Michy Batshuayi in the closing minutes.

Pedro Rodriguez soothed Antonio Conte's nerves with a fifth-minute opener and Cesar Azpilicueta nodded in the third, soon after the interval.

Tiemoue Bakayoko, on as a substitute, scored his first Chelsea goal with the help of a deflection and Batshuayi helped himself to a couple as the visitors from Azerbaijan wilted.

More importantly for Conte, here was a fourth successive victory since the shock defeat against Burnley. The Premier League champions are gathering momentum, a commodity he values highly.

Since transfer window closed, Chelsea are looking once again like the ruthless machine they were last year: intense and focused on whatever task is to hand, revved-up by a high-energy manager on the touchline.

Conte claimed there were risks involved in resting five players against a team with nothing to lose on their Champions League debut.

With Atletico Madrid and Roma to come, he was aware no cheap points could afford to be surrendered at this stage.

Ahead of the game he explained about the energy-sapping sequence of seven games in 21 days which culminates against Manchester City.

As it turned out, Qarabag made it easier for him. They made a bright enough start, twice getting in behind Marcos Alonso in the first two minutes before Chelsea took a grip and refused to let go.

Ibrahim Sehic, in goal for the visitors, began what was to be a busy shift with saves from Alonso and Batshuayi.

Blues manager Antonio Conte was keen for his side to not take the foot off the gas following the early breakthrough

Willian returned to the starting line-up having started the victory over Leicester last Saturday on the substitutes' bench

Cesc Fabregas saw plenty of the ball in the centre of midfield with the Premier League champions controlling the encounter

Cesar Azpilicueta (No 28) ensured he got out of the way of Pedro's shot following a clever short corner after five minutes

Chelsea have now scored in each of their last 25 Champions League group stage games at Stamford Bridge

Qarabag's Bosnian goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic was completely bamboozled by Zappacosta's fiercely disguised effort 

Zappacosta enjoyed his first strike for his new club as he looked to build an immediate rapport with the Chelsea supporters

Then he was beaten for the first time by Pedro, who swept a first-time strike inside the post when Willian collected a short corner and found him on the fringes of the penalty area.

Willian forced another save from Sehic and Batshuayi was unable to convert the rebound before Zappacosta introduced himself to his new public at Stamford Bridge.

Half an hour had gone when the athletic wing-back, signed from Torino on deadline day, strode across the halfway line, shrugging off two challenges as he went.

He glanced up to check his options – Batshauyi and Pedro were up in support - and then he bamboozled Sehic with a mishit cross which swerved over the head of the goalkeeper and into the net.

The Italian admitted afterwards: 'I'm really happy. It was a dream debut, scoring at Stamford Bridge. I'm happy for myself, but mainly for the victory to get us going well in the Champions League. To be honest I wanted to cross it, but I caught it well and it ended up in the goal. The aims are to go as far as possible. 

'We're working hard to get out the group and into the next round. It's an open group and they've welcomed me well. I hope it continues! 

Fluke or not, the unlikely scorer wheeled away and basked in the reaction as Chelsea fans sang: 'Zappacosta, he scores when he wants'.

Victor Moses, his rival for the role on the right, was jokingly cuddled by Willy Caballero and David Luiz amid much hilarity on the subs' bench. 

Alvaro Morata was delighted for his compatriot Azpilicueta with the pair celebrating on the touchline after the latter's goal

The Spanish full back notched only his sixth strike in a Chelsea shirt on a night when everyone wanted to get in on the act

Eden Hazard replaced Pedro immediately after Azpilicueta's goal and was involved in Chelsea's fourth goal of the night

Hazard was all smiles as he returned to the pitch to enjoy a comfortable run-out following three months out with a fracture

Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi looks to close down the Qarabag goalkeeper during a wet evening in London on Tuesday

Bakayoko was fastest to the loose ball following Hazard's low ball to stretch Chelsea's lead with 19 minutes remaining

Bayshuayi claimed Chelsea's final goal of the evening but the final touch may have come off defender Jakub Rzezniczak

Batshuayi was on hand to ensure the ball crossed the line as Chelsea's equaled their 6-0 win over Maribor in October 2014

When the ball came Zappacosta's way again, the home crowd encouraged him to go for goal. This time he could not oblige but any trace of tension was gone.

No-one expected Qarabag to find a way back into this, including the visitors, it seemed. With a remarkable back-story, they have made impressive progress from the brink of extinction and are in Group C for the experience.

On this evidence will take a few beatings. Chelsea cruised through the second-half and Azpilicueta celebrated his first Champions League goal with a simple header.

Willian rolled a free-kick short to Cesc Fabregas who was afforded all the time he needed to find his fellow Spaniard with a clipped pass from the outside of his right boot.

Azpilicueta nodded it past Sehic from eight yards. It was the cue for Conte to start making changes and replace those who will be central to his plans against Arsenal on Sunday.

Arsene Wenger's team will play on Thursday in the Europa League in what promises to be a tougher test against Cologne. You can almost hear the excuses, already.

Willian rattled the bar with a dipping shot and Bakayoko's goal came from a cross by Eden Hazard and some heavy-legged defending in the penalty area.

Batshuayi got in on the act with his first goals of the season, both from close-range. Chelsea made the right impression as they returned to the Champions League and Conte's squad kept plenty in the tank for Arsenal.