http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/southampton-vschelsea-match-report-eden-hazard-diego-costa-antonio-conte-a7388086.

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Ian Winrow at St Mary's, 29 October 2016

Southampton vs Chelsea match report: Eden Hazard and Diego

Costa goals see Antonio Conte's side keep pace
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
Contes 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 years 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
weekends emphatic victory win against Manchester United may have been
more eye-catching, but this was equally impressive as Contes 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 Puels 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 Chelseas threeman 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.
http://news.kuwaittimes.net/website/costa-sparkles-chelsea-saints/
Costa sparkles as Chelsea down Saints
Sunday, October 30, 2016
SOUTHAMPTON: Diego Costas sublime strike sealed Chelseas 2-0 success against
Southampton on Sunday as the Blues chalked up a fourth successive Premier
League victory. Costa doubled Chelseas lead with a fine finish from 25 yards after
Eden Hazard had put Antonio Contes side ahead early in the first half at St Marys.
Inflicting Southamptons first home league defeat since February gave Chelsea four
league wins in a row for the first time since April 2015, when they were on the verge
of lifting the title under Jose Mourinho. While it is too early to predict another
Chelsea charge to the title, the Blues have hit a promising vein of form since Conte
switched to his preferred system with a three-man defence.
Their win on the south-coast lifted them above Tottenham into fourth place in the
table and within one point of leaders Manchester City. Southampton remain in midtable after a first defeat in six league games stalled their recent fine run.
After making a host of changes for the midweek League Cup defeat at West Ham,
Conte returned to the line-up that thrashed Manchester United last weekend, which
meant captain John Terry was back on the bench.For the all focus on Terrys
omission, it was the presence of Hazard, who didnt start against the Hammers, that
proved the most significant team change. Just seconds after kick-off, the Belgium
midfielder underlined his threat with a clever run and cut back on the right side of
the penalty area that ended with Costa unable to prod past Saints goalkeeper Fraser
Forster. Southampton boss Claude Puel should have been well aware of the need to
stifle Hazard after working with the Chelsea star when he was a teenager at French
club Lille.
MENACE
But if Puel had warned his players, they clearly failed to take note because Hazard
was barely opposed as he put Chelsea ahead in the sixth minute. Allowed to
advance unchecked onto a Victor Moses pass, Hazard glided into the same area of

the penalty box he had threatened from before, and this time he tricked Steven
Davis with an astute cutback before drilling a low shot past Forster.
It was the first time Hazard had scored in three consecutive league games for
Chelsea, but Southampton recovered their composure and almost grabbed an
equaliser when Dusan Tadics low free-kick was turned away by Thibaut Courtois.
Hazard remained a menace and brought Forster into action with a low shot from the
edge of the area.
That was the signal for Chelsea to turn up the heat and Costa should have scored
just before half-time when he fired straight at Forster from Nemanja Matics pass.