Mark Hughes' side left deep in trouble after blowing two-goal lead as Chelsea strike three goals in eight minutes to turn the match around
ANTONIO CONTE'S inspired substitution triggered a stunning comeback by Chelsea to break Southampton hearts.
Conte took off limp Spaniard Alvaro Morata on 61 minutes and replaced him with Olivier Giroud with his team 2-0 down and looking beaten.
But Chelsea clinched a remarkable fightback with three goals in eight minutes as Giroud and Eden Hazard masterminded victory.
They were Giroud’s first Premier League goals since joining Chelsea from Arsenal in an £18million deal in January.
The first was a brilliantly-taken header on 70 minutes and the second an instinctive shot when Saints failed to clear Willian’s free kick, allowing Giroud to pump a low shot through a ruck of players and beyond keeper Alex McCarthy.
In the meantime, Hazard had pounced when Willian crossed low from the left into his path in the middle of the area, for the Belgian to blast home the equaliser.
It was doubly-disappointing for Southampton boss Mark Hughes who was just a quarter of an hour from clinching his first Premier League victory as manager.
Dusan Tadic swept home a shot on 21 minutes and rookie Polish defender Jan Bednarek made it two nil when he headed in a sweeping cross from James Ward-Prowse on the hour.
Defeat leaves Saints stuck in the bottom three of the Premier League and they face Chelsea again next Sunday in the FA Cup semi final after a Thursday night trip to Leicester in a league match.
