Suso eased the immediate pressure on his coach Vincenzo Montella with a magnificent individual performance as AC Milan got back to winning ways with an impressive 4-1 Serie A win at Chievo on Wednesday.
A run of just one win in six games across all competitions, including a derby defeat to arch-rivals Inter, has led to questions surrounding Montella's future after a big-spending transfer window.
But talk of his departure was put to bed, at least for now, as Suso ensured Milan did not suffer a fourth consecutive away Serie A defeat and extended its unbeaten run against Chievo to 22 matches.
Milan started the game in 12th following Atalanta's 3-0 win over Verona, with Chievo two points ahead in seventh, but the Rossoneri leapfrogged its host with a fine display at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.
Suso opened the scoring with a brilliant strike and it was his cross that was turned into the Chievo net by unfortunate defender Bostjan Cesar as Milan scored two goals in six first-half minutes to take command.
Hakan Calhanoglu capped a quick Milan break to make it 3-0 in the 55th minute and, though Valter Birsa scored against his former club for the second time in three meetings to pull one back, Suso ensured Milan had the final say by setting up Nikola Kalinic.
Milan, which cruised to victory despite the absence through suspension of defender Leonardo Bonucci, move up to eighth place but is still nine points adrift of the top four going into Saturday's huge game at San Siro against champions Juventus.
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