With the pressure on, Chelsea delivered and they are seven points clear of Spurs with seven matches to play.
Advertisement
Antonio Conte’s side require 15 points from their remaining seven games to be certain of regaining the title they last won two years ago under José Mourinho.
Hazard reached 14 Premier League goals in a season for the third time in his Chelsea career as the Blues prevailed 3-1 on the south coast.
“I felt we were in the game and it was a really delicate balance between how much you commit to the attack and how much you leave yourself vulnerable in certain areas”.
“We’ve been there nearly all season, we are showing we want to be there, we’re playing very good and fighting for it and that’s what we need to keep doing”. But I’m happy to face this kind of situation, to play with only four points’ advantage.
“I have already replied to this question before the FA Cup game”, he said, after Chelsea moved a step nearer the Premier League crown by beating Bournemouth 3-1 on Saturday.
“I think a good coach, a good manager must do this, not only to win or to buy the best players in the world”. “This is a good answer”, Conte told the BBC.
Having choked last season when they failed to catch champions Leicester in the closing weeks, Pochettino’s side are back in the hunt and Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen said: “Chelsea look very strong but we can’t stop pushing and dreaming of the league”.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is playing behind a defensive trio of Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta who have conceded just 25 goals – the league’s second tightest defence.
Chelsea took the lead on 17 minutes, courtesy of a freakish goal which saw Diego Costa’s mishit effort deflecting in off the unfortunate Adam Smith.
Chelsea have beaten United twice this season with a 4-0 win at Stamford Bridge in October and a 1-0 win in an FA Cup quarter-final last month but last won a league game at Old Trafford in 2013. We know this. But it’s impotant to go game by game. We don’t have an easy schedule, we know this. You can feel a bit of the pressure, but it’s normal.
“I am happy for Eden and he scored a good goal”, Conte added.
Advertisement
“After the result against Crystal Palace where we didn’t deserve to lose, we could have dropped points against City and then against Bournemouth. He provoked the first goal and I’m sure he can score in every game”.
