SOUTHAMPTON...0 CHELSEA...2
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.