Blues on top
Southampton 0 Chelsea 3: Eden Hazard, Ross Barkley and Alvaro Morata score as Blues go top of the league
Maurizio Sarri's men continued their charge up the Premier League table against a determined Saints team at St Mary's
CHELSEA showcased their bizarre "ocean blue" kit on a trip to the South Coast.
And right now you’d back old King Canute over any Premier League defender from stopping Eden Hazard scoring an inevitable goal.
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Canute got wet feet showing his pals back in the 12th century how no mere mortal has the power to stem the tide of the sea.
The immediate thought after Hazard crashed home his eighth goal of the season so far for Chelsea is that it is a similarly impossible feat trying to keep Hazard off the scoresheet at this moment in time.
Beaming Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri claims his Belgian star can score 40 goals a season if he forgets about defending and concentrates on hanging around the opposition box making a nuisance of himself.
He is a fifth of the way there even though we are only ten games into a campaign which could last upwards of 60 games if Hazard keeps scoring the goals that propel his team forwards every time he is let loose on a pitch.
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There was clearly no need other than commerce in Chelsea’s minds for putting their players in the pale shirts and "traffic cone orange" socks that made their debut at St Mary’s.
At least it wasn’t just another money making third strip that caught the eye in the hazy sunshine by the sea.
Hazard put Chelsea ahead 15 minutes before half-time with a classy finish from inside the box having accepted a pinpoint pass from Ross Barkley, who is improving with every touch and tackle.
But he is also behind every single move for his team, the focal point of every sweep towards goal, every exhibition of daring do.
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And 14 minutes into the second half there was another glimpse at what Hazard gives Chelsea in the build up to the clinching goal.
Breaking on the counter attack, Willian thumped a pass with the outside of his boot across field to Hazard, who took it under control with the soft touch of a bomb disposal expert.
He then dragged Danny Ings this way and that before drawing a clumsy foul from the Saints midfielder, who could only muster a wry smile as a acknowledgement of his opponent’s class.
Willian took over free kick duty and delivered a swinging ball to Olivier Giroud at the far post.
The Frenchman volleyed it low-level across the six yard box and Barkley directed it past keeper Alex McCarthy for number two.
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It was Barkley’s first goal of any kind since the winner in a 1-0 victory for his former club Everton at Watford in May 2017.
It was a simple redirection from close range but the celebrations showed how much it meant to him.
For Southampton it also meant no way back on yet another afternoon of self-inflicted frustration on home soil.
Ryan Bertrand summed it up when burying his face in his shirt after spurning a golden opportunity to equalise nine minutes before the game was put to bed.
The former Chelsea left-back, a Champions League winner with them in 2012, was unmarked at the far post as Pierre-Emile Hojberg dropped a cross on a plate for him.
His volley cannoned way over the bar. It was deja vu from a first half effort when Ings did the same from six yards out.
Alvaro Morata finally got on the score-sheet as he poked home a third in added time.
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