PREMIER Hazard strike keeps Chelsea in title hunt
Bournemouth, Oct. 29: Eden Hazard quietened the debate surrounding Antonio Conte’s future with the second-half goal that secured a 1-0 win at Bournemouth on Saturday and maintained champions Chelsea’s hold on fourth spot, nine points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City.
Chelsea manager Conte had reacted angrily to suggestions in the build-up to this game that fellow Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti was being lined up as his successor amid talk of dissent among the London club’s squad.
Those concerns were stilled as Chelsea showed enough resolve to overcome a determined Bournemouth side whose display suggested they are capable of moving out of the bottom three, with Hazard’s 51st-minute goal proving the difference between the two sides.
Conte’s outburst came after a positive week for Chelsea that began with an impressive comeback to beat Watford and continued with the midweek League Cup defeat of another Premier League side in Everton.
Had Chelsea failed to recover after falling behind to Marco Silva’s Watford, their prospects of retaining the title would have receded even further.
That only increased the pressure on Chelsea against a Bournemouth side also boasting back-toback victories in league and cup.
Victory at Stoke City was only the Cherries’ second league win of the season while they set up a League Cup quarter-final with Chelsea after beating second-tier Middlesbrough.
Conte’s selection against south coast side Bournemouth suggested he had one eye on Tuesday’s Champions League tie away to Roma, with captain Gary Cahill on the substitutes’ bench. In London, Brighton recovered from conceding an early goal to draw with Southampton in a clash of south coast rivals on Sunday, a result that leaves both clubs safely positioned in mid-table.
Southampton took the lead in the seventh minute when Steven Davis pounced after a brilliant free-kick from James Ward-Prowse came back off the woodwork. But Saints were unable to build on their bright start and there was little in the way of goalmouth action for the remainder the half.
Newly promoted Brighton levelled shortly after the break when Glenn Murray headed in a Pascal Gross cross.