CHELSEA MAKE CONTE SUFFER
Alonso fires winner as Saints blow late chances
ANTONIO CONTE will wonder why this was all so tense. It really should not have been.
Marcos Alonso’s free-kick secured Chelsea a deserved win over Southampton but their victory could have been far mo r e comprehensive.
Had Charlie Austin taken any of three late chances to equalise, Chelsea would have suffered an almighty injustice.
In the end, though, the Blues bandwagon rolled on, making it eight wins in their last 10 games.
Their title defence will surely end in failure — Manchester City are seeing to that — but Conte and his players are not about to surrender.
‘I want to remember that in the last 10 games, we won eight games, drew only one, against Liverpool away and lost only one, at West Ham,’ said Conte.
‘If someone asks me if I want to sign for this in the next 10 games, I’m ready. Someone is forgetting our run, because there is a team (Manchester City) winning every game.’
Southampton will rue the chances Austin missed in the dying stages and manager Mauricio Pellegrino is struggling for answers. One win in nine Premier League games is dismal form and Saints are just three points off the drop zone.
The Argentinian said earlier in the week that he would only pick players who are 100 per cent committed, and he dropped a prematch bombshell by axing key defender Virgil van Dijk.
As the Dutchman stewed on the bench, his face spoke a thousand words but after the way this game developed, Pellegrino had done him a favour.
Southampton’s defence coped relatively comfortably during the opening exchanges but Saints were forced into an early change. Cedric limped off in the 17th minute to be replaced by Mario Lemina.
Soon Chelsea took control. Fraser Forster was increasingly busy, the England keeper stopping efforts from Alonso, Gary Cahill and N’Golo Kante.
But the chances were far from clear-cut, much to Conte’s annoyance — and the Italian struggles to hide his emotions at the best of times. Needless to say, he was far from happy with how the opening 30 minutes panned out, his gesticulations becoming more frantic with every passing minute.
Forster was called upon again in the 33rd minute, producing an excellent near-post stop to deny Alonso for a second time before Pedro struck the foot of a post with a low, deflected effort.
The Southampton dam had to burst at some point and so it proved as the Blues netted what proved to be the winner two minutes into first-half stoppage time.
Eden Hazard’s turn past Maya Yoshida to earn Chelsea a free-kick 25 yards out was sublime. Alonso’s curling effort past Forster was just as special, the Spaniard’s strike swinging viciously around the wall before flashing past the keeper.
Perhaps Forster could have got down to it quicker but that should not take anything away from Alonso’s stunning goal.
Conte could not contain his relief. Pellegrino could not disguise his misery. After Southampton’ s demoralising 4-1 loss to Leicester in midweek, he would have been satisfied with a resilient first-half showing. Truth be told, though, his side were fortunate to be only 1-0 behind at half-time.
The second period started much like the first, with Chelsea in the ascendancy. Willian fired over the bar after cutting in from the right flank before Cesar Azpilicueta was off target with another long-range effort.
Pellegrino introduced top scorer Austin for the ineffective Manolo Gabbiadini in the 61st minute in an attempt to awaken Southampton’s dozy attack.
The move nearly paid instant dividends as Austin — sent clear by Pierre- Emile Hojbjerg — was denied by Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in a one-on-one.
It was a warning to Chelsea that, despite their dominance of the ball, this game was not done yet. They created several chances to kill the game, and even had the ball in the back of the net in the 69th minute. Hazard fired past Forster after a neat exchange of passes with substitute Cesc Fabregas, but the effort was ruled out for the tightest of offside calls.
Alonso was denied a second goal by the overworked Forster, who then saved substitute Alvaro Morata’s fierce strike as the Blues sought to put the contest to bed.
Yet somehow Southampton clung on to hope of a draw and again Austin drew a save from Courtois before the Saints striker flicked another shot wide five minutes from time as Chelsea — so comfortable for most of the match — clung on grimly.