Buoyant Chelsea extended its Premier League lead and calmed nerves at Stamford Bridge with a 4-2 win over Southampton on Tuesday that moved it seven points clear of its nearest pursuer Tottenham Hotspur.
Goals from Eden Hazard, captain Gary Cahill and two from a buzzing Diego Costa ensured Chelsea stayed on course for the double after it beat Tottenham by the same score in its FA Cup semifinal at Wembley on Saturday.
The victory pushed Chelsea on to 78 points after 33 games and exerted more pressure on second-placed Spurs.
Conte juggled his team again on Tuesday starting with Costa and Hazard and his tactics were rewarded.
It took it less than five minutes to open a lead when Costa controlled a pass from Cesc Fabregas, surged forward and cut the ball back for the advancing Hazard, who angled his shot into the bottom corner of Fraser Forster’s net.
Villarreal kept its slim hopes of Champions League football next season alive as Roberto Soriano’s late winner shocked Atletico Madrid 1-0 at the Vicente Calderon in La Liga.
The results:
Premier League:
Chelsea 4 (Hazard 5, Cahill 45+1, Costa 53, 89) bt Southampton 2 (Romeu 24, Redmond 90+4).
La Liga: Atletico Madrid 0 lost to Villarreal 1 (Soriano 82); Sporting Gijon 1 (Rodriguez 39) drew with Espanyol 1 (Moreno 55); Granada 0 lost to Malaga 2 (Sandro Ramirez 47, 90+1).
