Chelsea extend lead

LONDON. — Chelsea opened up a six-point lead at the top of the English Premier League soccer table despite being held to a 1-1 draw against top-four hopefuls Southampton in an absorbing game at Stamford Bridge yesterday.

Diego Costa opened the scoring for Chelsea in the 11th minute with a close-range header but Southampton deservedly equalised eight minutes later through Dusan Tadic’s fortuitous penalty.

Southampton dominated for much of the opening period but Chelsea asserted their authority after the break with Costa clipping the post while John Terry was denied in a frantic finish.

Chelsea lead second-placed Manchester City, who were beaten 1-0 by struggling Burnley on Saturday, with a game in hand while Southampton are sixth, three points behind fourth-placed Manchester United.

Costa ended his seven-game drought but the Chelsea striker’s 18th Premier League goal of the season was not enough to secure victory as the leaders were held to a draw by Southampton at Stamford Bridge yesterday.

Jose Mourinho’s side were desperate to bounce back from their midweek Champions League exit against Paris Saint Germain and take advantage of Manchester City’s surprise defeat against Burnley on Saturday.

But Tadic’s 19th penalty cancelled out Costa’s 11th minute opener and denied the Blues the chance to establish an even more commanding lead over the chasing pack.

While a point extended Chelsea’s lead at the head of the table to six points, having played a game less than second-placed City, it was a disappointing end to a frustrating week for Mourinho and company.

The draw also frustrated Southampton who were unable to make bigger inroads in their efforts to force their way back into contention for a top four finish.

Mourinho had responded to the Champions League exit by rounding on his team’s critics — Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness, the former Liverpool players turned TV pundits, came in for particular attention for their comments about the Chelsea players behaviour towards the referee – and bullishly insisting his team would make up for that set-back by winning the title.

The Chelsea manager’s decision to retain 10 of the starting line-up that failed to beat PSG, Willian came in for Ramires, reinforced the view that Mourinho had faith in his players’ resilience.

And the opening moments of the game suggested the Portuguese’s confidence was not misplaced with his side capping a bright start with a much-needed goal from Costa.

The move that led to Chelsea taking the lead offered a reminder of the qualities they have shown for much of the season with Eden Hazard exchanging passes with Costa outside the Southampton area before working the ball out to Branislav Ivanovic on the right.

Costa, meanwhile, spotted a gap in the visitors’ defences and darted into the area where he met Ivanovic’s well-flighted cross with a powerful header from just six yards out.

The pain of Wednesday evening had been eased, but Southampton responded immediately, confirming they had no intention of simply playing a supporting role as Mourinho’s team repaired their wounded morale.

Ronald Koeman’s side had enjoyed a 12-day break since the victory over Crystal Palace that had revived their top-four challenge.

Presented with the opportunity to take his players for a mid-season break, Koeman broke with tradition, opting to head for the snow of Switzerland instead of the more traditional warm weather training trip. – AFP.