Southampton 2-0

Independent:

Southampton 0 Chelsea 2

Eden Hazard and Diego Costa goals see Antonio Conte's side keep pace

Claude Puel's Saints were unbeaten at home so far this season until Hazard and Costa struck without response

Ian Winrow at St Mary's

If Chelsea are to sustain their challenge for the Premier League title, they may well point to this performance as one that validated the view Antonio Conte’s revitalised side can last the course.
Built on the foundation of a defence that has been impregnable since Conte reorganised his back-line four-and-a-half matches ago and inspired by a revitalised Eden Hazard, who scored the opening goal, taking his tally to five league goals, one more than he managed in whole of last year’s troubled campaign, this was a convincing victory at the home of a team that came into the game on the back of a run of steadily improving form.

Diego Costa confirmed the win with an outstanding second half effort, struck from outside the area, for his eighth goal in ten league games. While last weekend’s emphatic victory win against Manchester United may have been more eye-catching, but this was equally impressive as Conte’s side served up a display that will have been noted by the three teams who sit one point above them at the head of the table.

Claude Puel’s Southampton side had not lost at home since a very different Chelsea won here eight months ago and came into this game have conceded just two goals in five unbeaten games. That run was ruined when Hazard put the visitors ahead after six minutes and it quickly became clear the home side would struggle to become the first side to break down Chelsea’s three-man central defence since Conte made the switch when his side were trailing 3-0 at half-time at Arsenal 405 minutes of playing time ago.

The case for Chelsea as title contenders is growing in strength but Conte insists, that with the top of the table as congested as it has been in a very long time, judgement on their credentials should be withheld until the second half of the season.

“At this moment, it's not important for us to look at the table,” said the manager. “We are in a good position, but it's not important. It's more important to work very hard and trust the work will improve us.

“The only way that we must know now is to continue to work. Not look at the table. But, if you ask me a prediction or an expectation of our championship, now it's very difficult to talk about this.

“It's important to pass many games particularly in the first part of this season. And then you can see if you can stay up there in the title race. It's important to pass the first part of the season. Then, when you start the second part, our ideas will be more clear. We are working a lot. I'm seeing a lot of positive things in the team. We are not looking at the table, but continuing just to work.”

Hazard’s outstanding work in the opening moments of the game set the tone with the winger taking the opportunity to drift inside, exchange passes with the excellent Victor Moses before getting in behind Steve Davis and drilling an angled shot through the legs of Fraser Forster. The Belgian’s contribution did not surprise Puel, who managed Hazard at Lille, and the Southampton manager believes his former player is now back to his best.

“He has come back after last season's difficulties, and has come back at a very good level,” said Puel. “He played with this level, so it made it difficult for us. But we could have done better at his goal. But he's a very good player, of course, like Costa.”

Costa should have added a second when he was set free by Nemanja Matic shortly before the interval but Southampton’s threat had been so limited, it never seemed likely the miss would prove costly. However, ten minutes into the second half, the Spain striker made up for his mistake, making space outside the Southampton area and curling a long-range effort beyond Forster.

"Four wins in the league now, four clean sheets – we keep going,” said Gary Cahill, the Chelsea centre-back. "It’s too early in terms of any team talking about winning the league but it’s important to stay near the top. We want to be up and among it. I can’t see anyone running away with it this season."

Southampton (4-2-3-1): Forster; Martina, Fonte, Van Dijk, Bertrand (McQueen 78); Clasie (Boufal 61), Romeu; Tadic (Hojbjerg 78), Davis, Austin; Redmond.
Subs not used: Taylor, Yoshida, Ward-Prowse, Olomola.

Chelsea (3-4-3): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill; Moses (Ivanovic 87), Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro (Willian 78), Costa (Batshuayi 88), Hazard.
Subs not used: Begovic, Oscar, Terry, Chalobah.

Referee: M Jones (Cheshire)
Attendance: 31,827

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Guardian:

Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Diego Costa turn on style to sink Southampton

Southampton 0 - 2

Dominic Fifield at St Mary's

Chelsea’s title challenge under Antonio Conte seems more persuasive with every passing week. This was arguably a more impressively constructed victory than that handed to them so obligingly by Manchester United the previous Sunday, a win chiselled out against one of the form teams in the division and a side who had not lost here since February. Southampton ended up feeling forlorn. Given the hosts’ underlying qualities to win this comfortably was remarkable.

Chelsea, then under Guus Hiddink’s interim stewardship, had been the last team to prevail at Southampton’s expense on the south coast, but that had been a success squeezed late and improbably from an even contest. This, in contrast, was a masterclass in how to exert almost complete control despite the home side hogging the ball for the majority of the play. Conte’s side, so expertly drilled, kept their opponents at arm’s length throughout. Their celebrations in front of the away support at the end, with the manager barely able to contain his delight, reinforced the impression the collective is suddenly strong.

This was a show of new-found strength. So much has been made of the Italian’s three-man defensive block – a system adopted out of desperation back when Chelsea had been exposed too often as vulnerable – but they seamlessly morphed into a five when required, with wing-backs working feverishly at both ends of the pitch and a midfield crammed with energy and industry. They have adapted superbly to the change in formation and have not been breached in 410 minutes of Premier League football, all but five of which have been with a trio of centre-halves blunting their opponents’ intent.

A team that had appeared so fragile against the fluid movement offered up by Liverpool and Arsenal in recent weeks have unearthed steel. Picking passage through these resolute massed banks of blue must feel an onerous task. It was one utterly beyond Southampton.

Thibaut Courtois made one save of relative note, from a Dusan Tadic free-kick, and watched Charlie Austin head over the bar and have another effort ruled out for offside, but a team who had been on the charge up the table over recent weeks would have expected to inflict more damage than that. Claude Puel cited fatigue as a contributory factor, but figuratively thumping your head against a brick wall for 90 minutes can presumably have that effect. “It is so difficult to play against,” added the Frenchman through a sigh.

The goal the Spain international curled so gloriously beyond an exposed Fraser Forster from just outside the penalty area 10 minutes into the second half, as Cuco Martina limply hung out a leg in a half-hearted attempt to block, was his eighth this season and 40th in only 64 top-flight outings, a record all the more staggering given his own rather fitful contribution through last season’s toils.

Costa may not always see eye-to-eye with a manager every bit as intense on the touchline as the striker is out on the turf, but a player whose temperament has so often left him open to sanction has led the line through four league wins without accruing the fifth yellow card of term that will see him serve a ban. The 28-year-old has effectively played on the edge of suspension for well over a month, retaining his snarl but ensuring his infamously physical and inflammatory approach has not crossed the line. At some point the yellow will come Costa’s way but, at present, it is more appropriate to acknowledge the goalscoring contribution he is making to the team.

Then there is Hazard. It had been the Belgian who eased the visitors aheadat St Mary’s, a cleverly delivered move upfield culminating in Moses slipping a return pass round Ryan Bertrand for the winger, evading Steve Davis, to collect. He took his time to tease out Davis’ sliding tackle before cutting inside and ripping a low shot through Forster’s legs at his near post.

It was the third successive game in which Hazard had scored, swelling his season’s tally to five. He has managed more goals in 10 games this season than he mustered in all 31 last time round and feels less of an indulgence when he contributes like this. “He has come back to a good level after last season’s difficulties,” said Puel, who had handed Hazard his first-team debut while at Lille. The 25-year-old was a constant threat here, as he has been all season, and was denied further reward only by Forster’s excellence and a timely José Fonte interception.

Southampton should not wallow in this mismatch overly long. They have Internazionale to come here on Thursday in the Europa League, when Puel will seek an immediate response. They are more than capable of claiming that tie so impressive has their own recent form proved, but here it was Chelsea who imposed themselves more coherently. It took them 20 games and into the new year to gather this many points last season. This time round theirs is an unnerving presence hovering on the leading trio’s shoulder.

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Telegraph:

Southampton 0 Chelsea 2: Conte's clinical Blues show title credentials with counter-attack masterclass

Jeremy Wilson

It is hard just now to know whether it is the performances of Chelsea or Manchester United which provide the more damning illustration for how Jose Mourinho’s once stunning coaching career is suffering an equally spectacular dip.

Mourinho’s current difficulties at United have been well documented but perhaps even more revealing is how, with largely the same group of players as last season, Antonio Conte continues to inspire Chelsea’s revival.

From being only a point off the relegation zone when Mourinho was sacked shortly before Christmas last year, Chelsea are back where they have largely belonged over the past decade as legitimate title contenders.

A run of four straight Premier League wins – including that 4-0 victory against Mourinho’s United – has put them into a top four with Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool that is now separated by just a single point.

Such form has been underpinned by not conceding a single Premier League goal since Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta came together in a back three but, while the 3-4-3 formation is something very new, the attacking inspiration has been derived from a very familiar old source.

In beating Southampton here on Sunday 2-0, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Diego Costa simply delivered another timely reminder that form might by temporary but class is permanent. The Southampton manager, Claude Puel, had actually given a 16-year-old Hazard his debut at Lille back in 2007 and his old protégé was excellent here in scoring Chelsea’s first and then creating their second to take his own personal Premier League goal tally for the season to five. Hazard managed only four during the whole of last season.

Similarly, Costa is now on a run of eight goals in 10 Premier League games after contributing only 12 through the whole of last season. Conte last night described that most unwanted campaign in Chelsea’s recent past as “history” but, pointedly, also stressed that Hazard and Costa were not the only underachievers.

“I think the last season is there, and you can see it,” the Chelsea manager said. “It’s history. It was bad, but not only for one player but many players. The season wasn’t good for all the team. You win and you lose together. Never as only one player. I want to see my players always working together and enjoying playing football together, and to win together. Sometimes to lose together, too.”

This was ultimately a very comfortable win together for Chelsea even if Southampton, who had not previously lost at home this season, had actually started on the front-foot.

In his planning for the match, Puel would have identified the areas behind Chelsea’s wing-backs as a potential area of vulnerability and Dusan Tadic did quickly drift into that space down the right. He cut inside and then back outside the Chelsea defence before flashing a dangerous cross along the six-yard line.

It seemed like the pattern for the match had been established but a combination of some slick Chelsea passing and slack Southampton defending soon completely changed the dynamic of the game.

Hazard had driven forward into space down Southampton’s left that had been vacated by Ryan Bertrand and darted into the penalty area following an exchange of passes with Victor Moses. Steven Davis tried to track Hazard’s run but was then much too hesitant with his attempted tackle as the Chelsea player dragged the ball back inside and smashed a low angled shot between the legs of goalkeeper Fraser Forster.

Only six minutes had elapsed but Chelsea already had Southampton exactly where they wanted. They then brilliantly sat back and absorbed Southampton’s attacks, with wing-backs Moses and Marcos Alonso as deep-lying as any conventional full-back, either side of a three-man central defence.

The selfless team play of Alonso and Moses has been one of the big features this season of Chelsea’s improvement and was later specifically praised by Conte. N’Golo Kanté and Nemanja Matic were also content to sit deeply in central midfield and break up Southampton’s attacks before launching rapid counters for Pedro, Hazard and Costa.

It could barely have worked better and so, even with possession statistics that were heavily weighted in Southampton’s favour, the best chances were all falling to Chelsea.

Hazard again burst forward and had a curling shot saved by Forster before Matic dispossessed Jordy Clasie and then put Costa clear on goal. His finish just lacked precision and was blocked by Forster’s leg but in the 55th minute he more than made amends from an even more difficult position.

Hazard provided the assist this time and, from 25 yards, Costa cut inside and took advantage of a defensive lapse in concentration by the Southampton right-back Cuco Martina to curl a wonderful finish past Forster.

Costa had several chances for a second but was just unable to meet Hazard’s cross before also failing to finish after Forster had only parried Moses’s powerful drive.

Puel responded by bringing on record signing Sofiane Boufal – the scorer of a wonderful winner against Sunderland in the EFL Cup on Wednesday – but the closest Southampton came to troubling Chelsea was late on when substitute Sam McQueen crossed for Charlie Austin, who had just drifted offside before finishing past Thibaut Courtois.


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Mail:

Southampton 0-2 Chelsea: Eden Hazard and Diego Costa score in either half to give Antonio Conte's side a fourth successive Premier league win

Eden Hazard gave Chelsea an early lead as he fired through the legs of Fraser Forster in the sixth minute

Hazard and Diego Costa went close to adding further goals before the interval but Forster saved
Costa did make it 2-0 soon after the break with a superb curling effort from the edge of the box
Southampton had plenty of possession but Claude Puel's side created few clear-cut chances

By MATT BARLOW FOR THE DAILY MAIL

If the four-goal demolition of Manchester United was a resounding statement of Chelsea’s renewed intent, then this display was no less impressive.

With goals from Eden Hazard and Diego Costa they strangled Southampton, scored early and never looked likely to relinquish their grip on the game.

They might have won by a greater margin but Antonio Conte clenched his fists and let out a roar of satisfaction as his team stayed within a point of the Premier League leaders.

Conte’s new three-man defence is solid, claiming another clean sheet, and his side were fluent and dangerous in attack. They have developed a menacing new look since the Italian followed his heart and shook this misfiring set of players into a different formation. His 3-4-3 system is getting the best from his best players.

Not least Costa, who tops the Premier League goal charts with eight from 10 games, and Hazard, who has five, more than he scored in the whole of last season.

When this old one-two are happy and in good touch the goals flow for Chelsea and points follow. They shared 34 when winning the title under Jose Mourinho in 2014-15.

Some may have wondered if the 4-0 win against United was inspired by the collective desire to avenge Mourinho, a manager they fell out of love with, but it feels like Conte’s team might be on to something bigger than settling a personal grudge.

Chelsea worked tirelessly at St Mary’s, a blur of movement with vital mileage from unsung wing-backs Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso. The sight of Moses forging up and down the right flank must be a delight for the Chelsea hierarchy because it offers hope to all those young, gifted and ambitious players out on loan from Stamford Bridge.

Moses was influential, afforded space by Claude Puel’s lopsided tactical system which offers Nathan Redmond a licence to drift freely from the left and link up with Charlie Austin.

Ryan Bertrand at left back was over-loaded in the first half and Moses was involved in the opening goal which put the visitors in control from the sixth minute.

Hazard, who was handed his senior debut by Puel when at Lille, was the scorer, trading passes with Moses and twisting past Steven Davis before driving a low finish through the legs of Fraser Forster at the goalkeeper’s near post.

Southampton produced some pleasing patterns and enjoyed attractive spells of possession without converting it into clear chances until they changed the system and sent on Soufiane Boufal.

Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz and Gary Cahill have adjusted to their roles in the back three and are protecting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. It is now 410 minutes since they conceded in the Premier League, a goal scored by Mesut Ozil on September 24.

They are earning some good fortune, too.

When a rare opportunity fell to Austin, he mistimed his header from a free-kick delivered by Davis and was well off target.

A desperate penalty appeal following a nudge from behind by N’Golo Kante on Austin was a sign of Southampton’s frustration as half-time approached.

While Saints performed neatly without much threat, Chelsea might easily have extended the lead on the counter-attack, with Forster making fine saves to deny Hazard and Costa as half-time approached.
Alonso was turned inside-out by one dizzying piece of footwork from Dusan Tadic in the opening minutes, but he stuck to his task, gradually won the duel and was an attacking force in the second half.

Costa scored Chelsea’s second, a brilliant curling finish from outside the box, although the comical defending by Cuco Martina left much to be desired.

Rather than close down, Martina turned away and cocked his leg behind him, hoping it might block the route to goal, then shuffled backwards and repeated the same move.

His routine may provide inspiration for Ed Balls on Strictly Come Dancing, but Martina did not stop Costa wrapping his right boot around the ball and bending it past Forster and inside the far post.

Saints wobbled briefly as if they might disintegrate. Costa clipped another effort wide from a Hazard cross and Forster saved from Moses, but Puel’s team regrouped and summoned a belated response. Austin climbed above Cahill to head over and Luiz deflected a Martina cross against his own bar. Austin found the net seven minutes from time only to see it ruled out for offside.
Replays showed it was the correct decision. It would be the last chance.

Southampton’s positive run of results comes to an end and Chelsea bound on, with a fourth win on the spin, 11 scored and none against and a glint in the eye of Conte, a man energised by signs of progress.

SOUTHAMPTON (4-3-3-): Forster 6.5; Martina 5, Fonte 6, Van Dijk 6.5, Bertrand 6 (McQueen 78); Romeu 6, Clasie 5 (Boufal 61), Davis 6; Redmond 6, Tadic 5 (Hojbjerg 78), Austin 5
SUBS NOT USED: Taylor, Yoshida, Ward-Prowse, Olomola
 MANAGER: Claude Puel 6

CHELSEA (3-4-3): Courtois 6; Azpilicueta 7, Luiz 7, Cahill 6.5; Moses 7.5 (Ivanovic 87), Kante 7 Matic 7.5, Alonso 6; Pedro 6.5 (Willian 78), Costa 8.5 (Batshuayi 88), Hazard 8
SUBS NOT USED: Begovic, Oscar, Terry, Chalobah
GOALS: Hazard 6, Costa 55
MANAGER: Antonio Conte 7

REFEREE: Mike Jones 6
ATTENDANCE: 31,827

MAN OF THE MATCH: Diego Costa
* Ratings by Matt Barlow

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Mirror:

Southampton 0-2 Chelsea: Blues make it four in a row with comfortable win - 5 things we learned

BY NEIL MCLEMAN

Antonio Conte's men coasted to victory at St Mary's to make it four successive wins, and without conceding a league goal since the loss at Arsenal

Goals from Eden Hazard and Diego Costa ended Southampton's long unbeaten home record – and lifted Chelsea within a point of the Premier League lead.

The Saints had not lost at St Mary's since the Blues won here in February. But Hazard gave the visitors the lead after only six minutes when he turned inside Steven Davies to drill home his fifth goal of the season – more than the Belgian scored in the whole of the last campaign.

Claude Puel's side dominated possession but Thibaut Courtois's only first-half save came from a Dusan Tadic free kick.

Costa was denied by Fraser Forster when sent through on goal by Nemanja Matic just before the break. The Spain striker made no mistake after 55 minutes when he was given time and space on the edge of the Saints box by Cuco Martina before curling his shot into the top corner.

Forster made futher saves from Hazard and Moses while Charlie Austin had a late effort disallowed for a borderline offside decision.

Here are five things we learned:

1. The Blues are in this title race

Sir Alex Ferguson was wrong for not naming the Blues among his five title contenders.
Four consecutive Premier League wins wihout conceding a goal since the Arsenal defeat have removed any doubt that Conte's side are in the hunt (and seven points clear of Manchester United).

2. Saints are good but not top class

After another summer of upheaval which saw the departure of another manager and three top players, Southampon's run of seven domestic matches without defeat came to an abrupt end despite dominating possession.
There other defeats this season came away to Manchester United, Arsenal and Inter Milan.

3. Chelsea's three centre-backs work – without John Terry

Under the former Italy coach, Chelsea look very Italian. Solid at the back, then they break forward with speed and class.
Eden Hazard and Diego Costa are back from their sabbaticals and Pedro is the player he was at Barcelona.
But there is no place for Terry in this slick formation.

4. Van Dijk is the next player to go in the annual Saints sales

Claude Puel claimed on Friday that the Dutch defender can become one of the to five centre-backs in the world.
The former Celtic star combines good tactical awareness with the physical strength to compete with Diego Costa. He is better than Dejan Lovren, who Liverpool bought for £20million.

5. No revenge for Romeu and Bertrand

As well as selling Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, Jose Mourinho also disposed of Ryan Bertrand and Oriol Romeu during his second spell as Chelsea boss.
The Spaniard battled away but the England left-back was out of position for the opening goal.

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Star:

Southampton 0 Chelsea 2: Eden Hazard and Diego Costa make it four wins on the bounce

ON the day the clocks went back Eden Hazard continued to turn back time to keep Chelsea in the thick of the Premier League title race.

By Alex Crook

Hazard’s alarm dip in form last season was one of the main factors in Chelsea’s pitiful defence of their championship crown.

The brilliant Belgian continued his revival under Antonio Conte by scoring one goal and making another for the equally rejuvenated Diego Costa as the Blues cruised to victory at St Mary’s.

Only Tottenham had conceded fewer goals this season than Southampton but it took Chelsea just six minutes to shatter that impressive defensive record.

Victor Moses played in Hazard down the right and the wing wizard dummied Steven Davis too easily before slotting past Fraser Forster from a tight angle.

Hazard has now scored more league goals this season than in the WHOLE of last term.

Man-of-the match Hazard almost doubled his and the Blues’ tally seven minutes before half time, cutting in from the left before curling into the arms of Forster at the far post.

Forster came to Saints’ rescue three minutes later, denying Costa with a smart save with the legs after Nemanja Matic had robbed Jordy Clasie in midfield.

Hazard was instrumental in Costa extending Chelsea’s advantage with his eighth goal of the season ten minutes into the second half.

David Luiz played a short free kick to Hazard down the left flank and the Belgian teed up Costa to curl an unstoppable shot, thanks to Cuco Martina’s feeble attempt to block, beyond a despairing Forster from 25 yards.

Costa now tops the Premier League scoring charts – one goal ahead of Manchester City hitman Sergio Aguero.

The Spaniard should have completed a quick-fire brace moments later when he sliced over from the edge of the six-yard box after Moses and Hazard had combined neatly down the right.

Southampton introduced club record £16m signing Sofiane Boufal from the bench for the final half an hour in a desperate bid to salvage their eight-month unbeaten home run.

It should have been 3-0 on 64 minutes when Forster spilled Moses’ shot and the rebound found its way to Pedro but the Spaniard took too long to get his shot away, allowing Oriol Romeu to block.
Southampton, who themselves were protecting a five-match unbeaten run in the league, found it tough going to penetrate Chelsea’s stubborn back five.

When Stamford Bridge old-boy Ryan Bertrand did work an opening 21 minutes from time Charlie Austin could only divert his header over the goal.

Northern Ireland international Davis also clipped the top of Courtois’ crossbar as Claude Puel’s men threatened to set up a grandstand finish.

The form of Moses has been another highlight of Conte’s short tenure in west London and the Nigerian was once again superb on the south coast.

It needed an excellent save from Forster to beat away Moses’ power-packed left-foot effort after gliding in from the right.

Southampton did have the ball in the net in the 85th minute but Austin’s effort was correctly ruled out as he had strayed offside in the process of eluding Luiz.

Chelsea are now just one point off top spot after four straight wins and but for some wasteful finishing from substitute Michy Batshuayi could have added to their tally in stoppage time.
Hazard played a lovely reverse ball to Matic, which the Serbian back-heeled into the feet of Batshuayi but the £33m summer but blazed over.

Saints boss Puel discovered Hazard as a raw 16-year-old when he was in charge of Lille. With friends like him, the Frenchman does not need enemies.

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Express:

Southampton 0 - Chelsea 2: Eden Hazard and Diego Costa earn Antonio Conte's side victory

EDEN HAZARD and Diego Costa, the twin axis of danger in this Chelsea side, are the men that Antonio Conte is building a title challenge around.

By TONY BANKS

It is no surprise of course, the pair have been the mainstay of Chelsea for the best part of three years now.

But Conte has drilled something more out of the duo this season – and right now the Belgian and the Spaniard are as good a partnership as any in the Premier League.

Both struck early in each half at St Mary’s yesterday, and as Chelsea diligently protected each goal with their new found resolve and efficiency, for once this promising Southampton team this season simply ran out of ideas.

Hazard has now scored in each of his last three Premier League games as Chelsea have won four on the bounce, scoring 11 and conceding none.

Costa has netted three in his last four, and has eight in total this season. Last season the pair spent most of the campaign arguing with former manager Jose Mourinho, each a pitiful shadow of the player they had been in 2014-15, when they were instrumental in Chelsea winning the title.

At one point Hazard walked off the pitch infuriating his manager, in another game Costa openly rowed with the Special One on the touchline.

But this morning, as Chelsea sit fourth, with just one point covering the top four, Conte’s methods and philosophy appear to be bearing fruit.

The Italian has worked the pair hard, and each has responded to the new, harsh demands. Hazard did not score his first goal in the league until April last year.

Now, after destroying Manchester United and his old manager last week, and yesterday dismantling Southampton with another brilliant display, he is a different player.

Eager, alert, and when he has the ball at his feet, devastating. In the summer the rumours were that Costa could be off, but Conte persuaded him to stay. He too has a new hunger and maybe a new maturity – he has avoided being cautioned now for three games.

Against United last week Chelsea were ahead in 30 seconds. It took a little longer yesterday, but once again they grabbed early control of the game and did not let go.

Knocked out of the EFL Cup on Wednesday at West Ham, there are two trophies to aim for, the League and the FA Cup. So there is little margin for error.

John Terry, who had a torrid time at the London Stadium, was back on the bench for a game that looked awkward with Saints unbeaten in five League matches.

But six minutes in Steven Davis allowed Hazard to run into the area onto Victor Moses’ pass. Then Davis was too easily turned, and Hazard rammed his angled shot through Fraser Forster’s legs.

It was a bad goal to concede, and Saints struggled all afternoon to recover, though Jose Fonte nodded wide, and Dusan Tadic saw his free-kick pushed round the post by Thibaut Courtois.

Every time Chelsea broke though they looked dangerous, and Hazard saw his shot saved before Costa missed a glorious chance to make it two, stopped by Forster when clean through.

Ten minutes after the break the game was over as a contest, it was the duo who combined to do the damage again. Hazard slipped in Costa on the edge of the area, and the Spaniard took one stride before curling a beautiful shot into the far corner.

Southampton had plenty of the ball, but Chelsea’s new three man defence and diligently covering midfielders simply gave them no sniffs of goal.

Charlie Austin found every avenue blocked, and even when, for once, Ryan Bertrand’s cross found him, he nodded over. 

And then when he did have the ball in the net, was ruled offside. In fact, Chelsea could have added to their score, Forster saving superbly from Hazard and Victor Moses.
The closest Saints came was when Davis’s header deflected onto the bar.

Claude Puel’s team have come a long way this term, but yesterday they were outfoxed. At West Ham, Conte had rested Hazard and Costa, and his side were impotent.
Their importance to this team cannot be over estimated.
Chelsea fans had better hope the dynamic duo stay fit.

Southampton (4-1-3-2): Forster 6; Martina 6, Fonte 7, Van Dyke 6, Bertrand 6 (McQueen 78, 6); Romeu 6; Davis 6, Tadic 6 (Hojberg 78, 6), Clasie 5 (Boufal 61, 5); Redmond 6, Austin 6.

Next Up: Inter Milan (h), Thurs EL.

Chelsea: (3-4-3): Courtois 7; Azpilicueta 7, Luiz 7, Cahill 7; Moses 7 (Ivanovic 87), Kante 7, Matic 7, Alonso 7; Pedro 7 (Willian 78, 6), Costa 7 (Batshuayi 89), Hazard 8. Goals: Hazard 6, Costa 55.

Next Up: Everton (h), Sat PL.

Referee: M Jones (Chester)

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