Chelsea analysis: False nine must remain Plan B as Marcos Alonso proves a matchwinner once again

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Simon Johnson16 December 2017

Marcos Alonso's free-kick in first-half injury time was enough for Chelsea to consolidate third place in the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Southampton.

The defender fired a long-range free-kick past Fraser Forster in the third minute of first-half injury time.

Forster made a string of saves to deny Chelsea a bigger winning margin in a second deserved win inside four days for Antonio Conte's men.

Simon Johnson was at Stamford Bridge to assess the key talking points...

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Alonso proves his worth yet again

Alonso has proved value for money at Chelsea, but remarkably more in attack than defence. Chelsea paid Fiorentina £24m for the left wing-back in 2016, a fee that raised a few eyebrows at the time.

But remarkably the Spain international has scored 10 League goals from just 48 starts, a great return by some midfielder's standards let alone a full-back.

Alonso is particularly threatening from free kicks and his second set piece of the season put Chelsea in front just before half-time.

Chelsea were clever to sow some seed of doubt in Fraser Forster's mind by lining up Willian close by so it wasn't clear who was taking it.

And Alonso took advantage of Forster's hesitation by curling a fine shot into the bottom corner.

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Van Dijk on his way?

One of the biggest surprises before kick-off was the sight of Van Dijk being among the list of Southampton substitutes.

The Dutch centre-half is once again subject of a lot of transfer speculation with the January transfer window just over two weeks away.

Chelsea were one of the clubs interested in him last summer, but with Andreas Christensen in such fine form, that desire appears to have waned.

Favourites Liverpool, who angered Southampton with the manner of their pursuit during the close season, remain the favourites but League leaders Manchester City are also in the hunt.

Southampton didn't particularly miss him here. With Maya Yoshida and Jack Stephens performing resolutely, It could be argued Southampton should take the £70m for the over-rated Van Dijk and reinvest in the squad.

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The false nine should remain plan B

Huddersfield couldn't cope with Chelsea when coach Antonio Conte fielded this system on Wednesday night, but this afternoon was a different story.

Chelsea laboured for long periods against a resolute Southampton side and only briefly flickered as an attacking threat.

There was the odd flash from the trio of Eden Hazard, Willian and Pedro, but they didn't combine to the same effect.

With striker Alvaro Morata getting a lengthy rest on the bench before a late cameo, it was a positive for Conte that they could win without their top scorer in the first XI for the second game in a row.

But Chelsea still look better when they have a main target to aim for up front and in the area, especially against teams that get a lot of men behind the ball as Southampton did.

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Pellegrino does Chelsea a favour

There must have been a sense of relief when Chelsea discovered that Charlie Austin was named on Southampton's bench at Stamford Bridge.

The former QPR striker has been in fine form for the Saints of late, scoring four goals in his previous five League appearances.

Manolo Gabbiadini led the line in what was a defensive formation and caused no threat whatsoever.

Austin replaced Gabbiadini on the hour mark and unsurprisingly the game changed because he was on the pitch. He almost scored with what looked like his first touch, Thibaut Courtois doing well to deny him.

The Chelsea keeper denied Austin again with 15 minutes remaining and the Englishman sent another effort wide of the near post.

It was noticeable how much more nervous the home side's backline became. One can only wonder what Southampton might have done if their best striker was on from the start.

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Chelsea not having much luck with penalties

For a side with as many nimble footballers as Chelsea have, it is remarkable that they have been awarded only one penalty in the League this season.

They only broke their duck just recently when Eden Hazard dispatched a cheeky chip against Newcastle United at the start of the month.

Conte certainly feels like his side should have had more decisions this term and his frustration was clear to see when Rodger East failed to award a spot-kick in the first half.

Eden Hazard's cross looked destined for Christensen's head only for former Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu to pull him back.

None of the officials spotted the offence and Conte let out a stream of angry vitriol in Italian. It might have proved a more comfortable afternoon for Chelsea had it been given and scored.

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