Southampton 1-2 Chelsea

It wasn’t pretty, it was hardly glorious but Chelsea, still unbeaten since Guus Hiddink took over in the Premier League, are beginning to rediscover some of the cussedness that has served them so well in difficult periods in the past.

For much of this match they looked slovenly and second best. They conceded in the most-embarrassing fashion, a mistake so bad it seemingly required Baba Rahman to be substituted. They survived a rash challenge by Gary Cahill on Charlie Austin on 70 minutes that ought to have been a penalty and which would have put the game beyond them.

And yet they prevailed, Branislav Ivanovic rising at the near post on 88 minutes to head in an unlikely winner. Perhaps they deserved it for hanging on in a game which had little grace or style.