Chelsea kept pace with the leading pack in the Premier League as they moved into fourth place with an impressive win at Southampton. The Blues took the lead when Eden Hazard capitalised on poor marking before cutting inside Steven Davis and powering a shot through the legs of keeper Fraser Forster. Southampton had plenty of the ball but could not find a way through a well-drilled Chelsea, who looked the more threatening and went close when strikes from Hazard and Diego Costa were saved. Costa, however, beat Forster at full stretch with a wonderful curled effort from 22 yards.
Victory was Chelsea's fourth in a row in the league - a feat they last achieved in April 2015 - and put them one point behind Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool. Hazard getting back to his best.Eden Hazard was the 2014-15 Premier League player of the season during a campaign in which former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said the Belgian had outperformed Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo. Hazard struggled to maintain those heights as he struggled last season - managing just four goals and rarely showing the pace and trickery that had made him such a threat. This season is a different story. He has already scored five goals and looks like he has regained the confidence to tease and torment defenders.
He showed skill and power with his goal at St Mary's, scoring in three consecutive Premier League games for the first time, then provided the pass from which Costa added Chelsea's second. Eden Hazard's touchmap shows that, while mainly operating down the left flank, he was a threat from all over the pitch. He also had more shots on target and made more key passes than any other player. Chelsea were exposed defensively in consecutive league defeats by Liverpool and Arsenal this season but, since then, they have kept four clean sheets and scored 11 goals. Manager Antonio Conte's move to a formation with three centre-backs is helping his side look more secure at the back and threatening in attack.
The Italian also appears to have implemented the sort of defending for which his country is famous, as an organised Chelsea denied Southampton's players any space in or around the penalty area and closed them down with aggression throughout. "We've worked hard in training," said Chelsea defender Gary Cahill. "We've worked hard on the shape that the manager has brought and we are getting the rewards. "It's OK having the shape but it's about having the mentality of the players to go out and dig in and do the business when you need to."
Southampton, whose most recent defeat at home in the league came against Chelsea in February, again had little answer to the Blues. Saints had 55 shots on target this season before the game, but could muster only one on Sunday despite enjoying 55% of possession. Their sole effort was Dusan Tadic's low effort, which was comfortably palmed wide by keeper Thibaut Courtois. Southampton's chances were fleeting and, when they did come, striker Charlie Austin put one header wide and another high.
