#5 Title race over?
Trending
This result leaves Chelsea in a commanding position in the race for the Premier League title. Second-placed Tottenham face a tricky test against in-form Crystal Palace tonight, before the small matter of a north London derby against Arsenal at the weekend. Failure to win either encounter would edge Conte’s charges even closer to the title, although their own trip to Everton on Sunday will not be straightforward.
If Chelsea go on to finish at the summit of the standings as expected, the key factor in their triumph will have been their consistency in this type of game: the shock defeat by Palace earlier this month remains the only time they have been beaten by opponents outside the top seven this season.
For Puel’s men, a fourth consecutive top-half finish in the first division – something the club have never accomplished before – is still well within their grasp. It has been another accomplished campaign for Saints, who are arguably the best-run outfit in the division. A 4-2 defeat may sound pretty comprehensive, but Southampton were much better than the scoreline at Stamford Bridge suggests.
