Chelsea 1-1 Southampton: Performance more important as a point for Ronald Koeman's team

As it turned out, Saints got a significant boost in both departments, setting them up perfectly for a thrilling finale to the season.

Everybody hoped that the scrappy win over Crystal Palace would prove the end of Saints’ recent struggles and that they could take advantage of a good run-in to secure European football.

The trip to Davos gave the squad a chance to draw breath, refresh and regroup and put behind them any doubts that might have started to creep in.

• Chelsea 1-1 Southampton: Photo gallery

Heading to Stamford Bridge, the Premier League leaders and surely the eventual winners, a defeat would not have been a disaster - Saints’ European hopes are always likely to be made or broken in the eight winnable games that are bookended by trips to Chelsea and Manchester City.

What Saints needed was a performance, to prove to themselves as much as anybody else that they are ready to approach the last weeks of the season with positivity rather than trepidation.

They did that, and got a valuable point in the process.

Tireless: Shane Long caused problems for Chelsea all day.

Ronald Koeman once more played a huge role. His decision to drop Graziano Pelle proved to be the correct one.

Shane Long was a tireless presence for Chelsea to deal with.

Just as significantly, Koeman moved Sadio Mane back into the central role just off of the striker - a set-up that had been so successful, but surprisingly ditched following his injury and Africa Cup of Nations duty.

Mane was a constant threat. He was able to collect the ball deep and run at defenders with his blistering pace, causing utter mayhem. Chelsea’s centre halves were too scared to get tight for fear of being turned and seeing Mane disappear into the distance.

On top of that, Saints were typically dogged in defence, so well organised, so committed, laying bodies on the line.

Acrobatic: Sadio Mane was at his very best playing through the middle.

Toby Alderweireld’s return is hugely significant for the run-in, while Jose Fonte and Morgan Schneiderlin were outstanding.

Saints fans could have been forgiven for thinking it was going to be another deflating day as Chelsea started on the front foot and took an early lead.

With just 11 minutes gone, Diego Costa started and finished a move which put the Blues ahead.

He linked up with Eden Hazard outside the area and darted into the box, losing the tracking Steven Davis and drifting in behind Toby Alderweireld.

He was picked out by a perfect right-wing cross from Branislav Ivanvoic and headed back across goal for 1-0.

Chelsea celebrate Diego Costa's opening goal.

But, rather than get downhearted, this was a show of spirit from Saints.

They immediately got onto the front foot and the remainder of the first period was a procession of chances.

Just two minutes after the goal, Ryan Bertrand found Dusan Tadic on the left by-line and his cut back to Sadio Mane produced a first-time shot that was saved by Thibaut Courtois.

Saints did level things up on 19 minutes from the penalty spot.

Mane threatened to run in behind and went down under a combination of Ivanovic and Nemanja Matic. The latter did get a small piece of the ball but it seemed as if Ivanovic had also got a touch on Mane.

Dusan Tadic converts from the spot at Stamford Bridge.

Mike Dean pointed to the spot and it was left to Tadic, who missed his last penalty against Burnley, to take it.

It wasn’t utterly convincing, as he rolled it down the middle, and Courtois got a touch with his trailing leg, but all that mattered was that it made it to the back of the net.

Tadic might have tried for another as good work from Long and Mane gave him a chance to shoot, but he opted to pass before he did the opposite on the half-hour mark, forcing Courtois to get down to his left to push away after an effort from a tight angle.

Saints continued to trouble Chelsea, with Long finding Mane on the edge of the area, but his first-time shot was saved by Courtois.

After their goal, the best Chelsea could muster in the first half in the face of overwhelming Saints pressure was a declined penalty appeal, as Ivanvoic went down theatrically in the box, and another header from Costa that went well over.

The only disappointment for Koeman was that his side hadn’t fully taken advantage of such a sustained period in control of the game by taking the lead.

Inevitably, the second period saw Chelsea regain a sense of control and exert quite some pressure.

Saints starred brightly, Matic lucky to avoid a second yellow card for a foul on Mane, and Alderweireld striking a free-kick that Courtois had to turn over.

After that, though, it was very much a Saints rearguard action.

Chelsea nearly scored when a corner came to Willian, who drilled in a shot that Costa stretched to divert against the post.

Fraser Forster and Dusan Tadic embrace at full-time.

Having had little action for much of the game, Fraser Forster had to make a string of saves in the closing stages.

He produced a double stop on 72 minutes, the first from Oscar’s close-range header, which he knew little about, and the follow up from Hazard he pushed away at the near post.

He was in action again to block from Oscar three minutes later before two more big moments at the death.

With full-time approaching, Forster turned wide from Cesar Azpilicueta’s low shot and then blocked from Juan Cuadrado in injury time, before a scramble saw John Terry fire the rebound into his own player before slicing wide.

The point was nothing other than Saints deserved and the performance a potentially pivotal moment in a brilliant season.