Costa double gives Chelsea breathing room

London - Diego Costa scored his 50th and 51st Premier League goals as Chelsea overcame spirited Southampton 4-2 on Tuesday to establish a seven-point lead at the top of the table.

Costa set up Eden Hazard's early opener, which was cancelled out by Oriol Romeu, before Gary Cahill restored the host's lead at an unseasonably cold Stamford Bridge.

Costa sealed victory with a second-half brace, ending a seven-game goal drought and heaping the pressure on second-place Tottenham Hotspur, who visits in-form Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

Ryan Bertrand added a stoppage-time consolation for Southampton, who remain ninth.

Having beaten Spurs in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday, Chelsea's latest win reaffirmed the status of Antonio Conte's side as England's team to beat.

It faces a thorny trip to Everton this weekend and has now gone 11 league games without a clean sheet - its longest run since 1996 - but the finishing line is just five games away.

Hazard, Costa and Cesc Fabregas returned to the Chelsea XI after starting Saturday's 4-2 win over Tottenham on the bench and they combined for the fifth-minute opener.

Fabregas's pass from halfway sent Costa scampering away down the inside-right channel and his cut-back was swept into the bottom-left corner by Hazard.

Ninteen minutes later, James Ward-Prowse's corner from the left was inadvertently flicked on by Cesar Azpilicueta and reached the unattended Manolo Gabbiadini at the back post.

The Italian's cross-shot flicked off Thibaut Courtois and was tapped in by Chelsea old boy Romeu, who had last scored in January 2016.

After a short corner with Hazard, Fabregas lofted a cross to the far post and Costa held off Bertrand to plant a header past Fraser Forster.

Dusan Tadic worked Courtois with a skidding effort and Gabbiadini hit the side-netting after again being left unmarked at a corner, moving Conte to angrily kick a bag beside the dug-out.

Chelsea club captain John Terry came on for the final five minutes and was afforded a standing ovation in his first appearance since announcing he will leave the club at the end of the season.

After Kante and substitute Pedro had threatened for Chelsea, Costa made it 4-1 with a delightful late goal, swapping passes with first Hazard and then Pedro before drilling a low shot past Forster.