Rejuvenated Hazard shines in another Chelsea win

This was arguably a more impressively constructed victory than that handed to them so obligingly by Manchester United the previous week, a win chiselled out against one of the form teams in the division and a side who had not lost here since February.

Ominously for their rivals, they have scored 11 goals in those four games and conceded none, with their three-man defence holding firm once again without captain John Terry. Within the first minute, a high and vicious Nemanja Matic challenge on Saints striker Charlie Austin set the tone for what was to come.

We can talk a lot about Diego Costa’s brilliance, which he has plenty of, but something else that stood out on Sunday was his newly found discipline. “We can improve a lot”.

Eden Hazard (5) has now scored more goals this season than he managed in the whole of last season (4).

Conte said he respected Ferguson’s opinion but insisted that his team had every chance of competing for the title if they continued to work as hard as they have in recent weeks. Last season, and indeed in the first few matches of this season, Chelsea were open and at times handing goals to their opponents.

Aside from a ridiculous tumble in the second half, he deserves credit now for working hard and looking solid at the back.

The Belgian bode his time before cutting inside, and emphatically finishing from a tight angle on his weaker left foot; through the legs of Fraser Forster to give the visitors the lead.

Southampton last suffered a defeat in the league at Arsenal in September, but remain in ninth place in the standings after 10 games.

And yet a “park the bus” mentality saw the Blues through to half-time with their lead intact, and Costa even came close to extending their lead from a one-on-one attempt with Forster late in the half.

The visitors nearly made it 3-0 seven minutes later when Moses forced Forster to parry his shot, with Hazard slipping the ball to Costa a few yards out, but his pass to Pedro was a poor one as the Spaniard couldn’t find space for a shot and the hosts cleared the danger. He praises Marcos Alonso too.

The hosts attempted to get back into the game but were unable to find a way through, with Austin heading over and Steven Davis clipping the bar with a header.

Claude Puel, the Southampton manager, bemoaned Hazard’s sixth-minute strike, with the early setback making it tough for his team.

Both sides looked threatening in the closing stages of the half, but Antonio Conte’s charges held their one-goal advantage heading into the break.

“We weren’t clinical enough today and against this team it’s hard”.