Chelsea missed the chance to tighten their grip on the Premier League title race as they were held to a draw by Southampton at St Mary’s.
Sadio Mane gave Saints a deserved early lead but a superb equaliser seconds before half-time set up Jose Mourinho’s title pacesetters for a second-half siege.
Chelsea’s pressure duly arrived as they dominated possession and attacked constantly – but Southampton showed magnificent organisation and determination to ensure goalkeeper Fraser Forster was not seriously troubled.
Mourinho will have just cause for complaint, however, after referee Anthony Taylor waved away what looked a clear penalty when Cesc Fabregas went down under Matt Targett’s challenge, only to receive a caution for diving.
Southampton even survived Morgan Schneiderlin’s late sending off, after a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Fabregas. The roars that rang around St Mary’s at the final whistle revealed a mixture of relief at
Southampton claiming a point but also admiration for the manner in which their team had dug so deep as Chelsea pressed.
For Chelsea and Mourinho, there was disappointment at the failure to fashion a victory and the casting aside of two points that will open the door a little further for reigning champions Manchester City.
The base of Nemanja Matic and Job Obi Mikel provided the platform for Fabregas to play in a more advanced role and he posed problems for Southampton early on.
But Southampton’s game plan was clear – manager Ronald Koeman wanted his players to press Chelsea in possession then use the pace of Mane in behind the opposing central defenders when the opportunity arose.
And the ploy worked exactly as Koeman had planned when Saints took the lead after 17 minutes, Mane showing too much pace for John Terry as he collected Dusan Tadic’s clever pass before beating keeper Thibaut Courtois with a composed finish.
It gave Southampton impetus and their energy was restricting Chelsea’s options until a moment of individual brilliance from Hazard put Mourinho’s side level in first-half stoppage time.
Fabregas could claim his 13th Premier League assist of the season with a fine pass but the hard work was done by Hazard, who cut inside before placing a perfect low right-foot shot beyond the reach of Forster.
Chelsea, who introduced Willian for Andre Schurrle at half-time, were infuriated when Fabregas had a penalty appeal rejected after he went down under challenge from Targett.
He looked to have been clipped by the Saints defender, who appeared to lose his footing slightly, but referee Taylor not only refused Chelsea’s claims but added insult to injury by showing Fabregas a yellow card for diving.
Southampton’s work-rate in the first half had been matched by their defensive discipline and resilience in the second as Chelsea pushed constantly but were unable to get anywhere near troubling Forster.
Even with reduced numbers after Schneiderlin’s sending off, Southampton held out and once again showed they are side to be reckoned with this season. Agency report
