Chelsea 1-0 Southampton: 5 Talking Points

#4 Cesc Fabregas runs the show after coming on as a substitute

Fabregas turned the game around after coming on

Despite Tiemoue Bakayoko's struggles of late, Antonio Conte decided to hand the Frenchman a start alongside compatriot N'Golo Kante. The former AS Monaco man did a decent job at putting the Saints midfielders on the back foot, but lacked the ability to provide that killer defence-splitting pass that would wreak havoc in the opposition back line.

However, once Cesc Fabregas was brought on for the last 20 minutes, Chelsea suddenly looked more fluid in the attack. He came on slightly before his countryman Alvaro Morat and linked up exceptionally well with him. His runs without the ball bedazzled the Southampton full-backs - which in turn created a positional overload for the likes of Willian and Morata to exploit.

There is a strong case that Chelsea should have been given a penalty after Fabregas was pushed inside the penalty area while taking a shot by Jack Stephens - but referee Roger East was benign towards the incident and chose not to take any further action. All in all, it was a brilliant cameo from the Spanish midfield sensation.