Diego Costa scored his 50th and 51st Premier League goals as
Chelsea overcame spirited Southampton 4-2 on Tuesday to establish a seven-point
lead at the top of the table.
Costa sealed victory with a second-half brace, ending a
seven-game goal drought and heaping the pressure on second-place Tottenham
Hotspur, who visit in-form Crystal Palace on Wednesday. Ryan Bertrand added a
stoppage-time consolation for Southampton, who remain ninth.
Having beaten Spurs in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday,
Chelsea’s latest win reaffirmed the status of Antonio Conte’s side as England’s
team to beat. They face a thorny trip to Everton this weekend and have now gone
11 league games without a clean sheet — their longest run since 1996 — but the
finishing line is just five games away.
Hazard, Costa and Cesc Fabregas returned to the Chelsea XI
after starting Saturday’s 4-2 win over Tottenham on the bench and they combined
for the fifth-minute opener. Fabregas’s pass from halfway sent Costa scampering
away down the inside-right channel and his cut-back was swept into the
bottom-left corner by Hazard. The Belgian forward has now scored 15 goals in a
Premier League season for the first time, his highest tally since netting 20
times for Lille in 2011-12.
The trio were at it
again shortly after, Costa deftly cushioning Fabregas’s pass into the path of
Hazard, who curled well wide. But there had already been nervy moments in the
hosts’ penalty area — an unmarked Jack Stephens volleying tamely at Thibaut
Courtois — and before long Southampton were level.
Terry ovation – James Ward-Prowse’s corner from the left was
inadvertently flicked on by Cesar Azpilicueta and reached the unattended Manolo
Gabbiadini at the back post. The Italian’s cross-shot flicked off Courtois and
was tapped in by Chelsea old boy Romeu, who had last scored in January 2016.
Set-pieces continued to prove the home side’s Achilles heel,
with Courtois obliged to swat away a dangerous Ward-Prowse free-kick before Sofiane
Boufal thrashed into the side-netting at a corner. A storming run by N’Golo
Kante forced Stephens into a desperate headed clearance and Costa had a penalty
appeal turned down, but Chelsea were on the ropes until Cahill struck in
first-half stoppage time.
Kante’s deep cross was helped on by Marcos Alonso and with
Costa launching himself into a mid-air scissors kick, the England captain
charged in bravely to head home. Costa would not be denied the next time he got
a sight of goal in the 53rd minute as he brought up a half-century of league
goals on his 85th appearance since signing from Atletico Madrid in 2014.
After a short corner
with Hazard, Fabregas lofted a cross to the far post and Costa held off
Bertrand to plant a header past Fraser Forster. Dusan Tadic worked Courtois
with a skidding effort and Gabbiadini hit the side-netting after again being
left unmarked at a corner, moving Conte to angrily kick a bag beside the
dug-out.
Chelsea club captain John Terry came on for the final five minutes and
was afforded a standing ovation in his first appearance since announcing he
will leave the club at the end of the season.
After Kante and
substitute Pedro had threatened for Chelsea, Costa made it 4-1 with a
delightful late goal, swapping passes with first Hazard and then Pedro before
drilling a low shot past Forster.
This Story first appeared on Vanguard
