Chelsea build on Premier League lead, split points vs. Southampton
LONDON --
If its rivals had shown any signs of consistency, this would be a game to give them succour.
Chelsea ended with a second-half surge that almost took it to victory, but it looked a tired, fragile side, unnerved by pace and capable of playing to its full potential only in patches after settling for a 1-1 draw against Southampton on Sunday. As it is, a lead of six points over Manchester City and seven points over Arsenal, with a game in hand over both, should be enough for Chelsea, particularly as the majority of the big games it has remaining are at Stamford Bridge.
Given the nature of Chelsea's UEFA Champions League exit on Wednesday, the weary, listless way it capitulated against Paris Saint-Germain, the possibility was awakened of a late season collapse that might have reawakened the title race. As it turned out, Manchester City's 1-0 defeat at Burnley on Saturday evening had eased much of any sense of pressure, leaving the way clear for Chelsea to take another huge stride towards the championship. It took only a small one, but the fact is that, disappointing as this result may have been, Chelsea ended the weekend with a larger advantage at the top of the table than it began it.
Jose Mourinho made only one change to side the side that started against PSG, recalling Willian at the expense of Ramires, something that might have been interpreted either as a challenge to those players to right the wrongs of Wednesday, or simply of more evidence of his refusal to rotate. Either way, he seemed to have the reaction he demanded when Chelsea took an 11thminute lead, Eden Hazard working the ball wide to Branislav Ivanovic who crossed for Diego Costa to end his eight-game goal drought with a decisive header.
As on Wednesday, though, as soon as Chelsea had scored, it suddenly looked vulnerable. First Thibaut Courtois was called into action to beat away a Sadio Mane drive from Dusan Tadic's cutback. Then Mane, bursting into the box, was tripped by Nemanja Matic, whose challenge ended up taking the ball, but only after his thigh had tripped the forward. Tadic, drilling his shot down the middle as Courtois dived to his left, converted the resulting penalty.
From then until shortly after halftime, it was a story of Chelsea lumbering around, lacking flair, wit or pace -- although it should have had a penalty when Tadic trod on Ivanovic's heel -- while Southampton, quicker and more lively, posed considerable threat on the break. Chelsea has proved susceptible to pace all season, and Ronald Koeman's decision to leave out Graziano Pelle for the rapid Mane and Shane Long proved an astute one.
Mourinho was clearly upset with the penalty decisions, but bit his tongue on this occasion.
He said: "My opinion is not important. Important is Mr. Mike Dean (the referee). His decision was a penalty and his decision was no penalty on Ivanovic."
Courtois made a low save to deny Tadic on the half hour. Then in the first minute of the second half, after Matic had been fortunate to avoid a second yellow card for a foul on Mane, the Belgian keeper had to demonstrate all the power in his famously strong wrists to beat away a Toby Alderweireld free-kick. When Matic was withdrawn for Ramires after 53 minutes, it was hard to know whether it was because of fatigue -- the midfielder has looked particularly afflicted over the past week -- or to protect him from possible dismissal.
Only then was there a Chelsea response, parked, seemingly, by the glowering cauldron that is Diego Costa. It was impressive in its intensity, and offered a reminder of how Chelsea had blown sides away earlier in the season. It came so late that Southampton had a position to hold. Forster palmed out a corner and although Willian's first-time shot was going wide, Costa stuck out a foot to divert the ball onto the post. Forster made a reflex save to keep out a header from Cesc Fabregas and recover to palm away Hazard's follow-up. A couple of minutes later, Oscar was thwarted by the England keeper.
Diego Costa had an effort deflected over by Fonte after a ricocheting ball had fallen to him in the box, Forster saved from Cesar Azpilicueta, and in a frantic conclusion, the substitute Loic Remy and John Terry both had shots blocked in the six-yard box. Southampton, perhaps, rode its luck and Chelsea could argue that it generated more than enough chances to have won comfortably.
Yet at the same time, there was that spell of about 45 minutes from going ahead until Matic went off when Southampton was the better side. Chelsea probably will secure Mourinho's third Premier League title. Yet you must wonder how City must regret its insipidness on Saturday, how Arsenal must regret the hesitancy with which it began the season. Four months ago, it looked as though Chelsea's advance on the league title was a procession, but it is hobbling its way towards the line.
