A resurgent Chelsea sit second on the Premier League table, having collected all available points from their first three games of the season. Certainly a marked improvement from the way they began the last campaign under Jose Mourinho.
At this stage last term, things were in shambles at Stamford Bridge. The Blues were heading right down the table, with just four points to show from their first three matches, the Eva Carneiro saga was in full swing, and ‘palpable discord’ had taken firm rooting.
Chelsea looked nothing like the champions who had trotted to the Premier League title the previous season. They were well on their way to flirting with relegation and becoming the laughing stock of the division.
The London side salvaged a bit of pride under interim boss Guus Hiddink and would claim a 10th place finish, bringing a very welcome end to the season, with supporters ready to forget past woes and start afresh.
Well, start afresh they have. The Blues are gaining that swagger back under new manager Antonio Conte, and the signs are exceedingly positive. The Italian officially joined the club after Italy were knocked out of the Euros by Germany, and has taken his disciplined brand of football to Stamford Bridge.
If one thing at all, Conte isn’t short on passion. His touchline displays have already endeared him to the fans, but filter in the results, as well as the great individual performances all round, and you’ll find that the Blues have one hell of a boss.
The entire squad is playing at a high level. Diego Costa is scoring, Eden Hazard seems back to his old self and the centre-back pairing of John Terry and Gary Cahill suddenly looks dependable again. Nemanja Matic and Oscar, who underperformed last season, look just as good as the rest.
Despite Matic’s incompetence last season, Conte was quite vocal about keeping him and showed support for the player from day one.
Conte puts faith in Oscar
Oscar, on the other hand, looked set to leave, and the manager didn’t have much to say. With regards to the Brazilian, Conte has gone about his business quietly, making the 24-year-old an important player in the side again.
That should come as no surprise, given the miracle he pulled off with Italy. He brought one of the weakest squads in Italian football history to EURO 2016 and made them one of the most feared sides in the competition. It would take world champions Germany nothing less than a penalty shootout and an absurd Simone Zaza penalty to stop the Azzurri.
One of Conte’s stars in the Italy side was Emanuele Giaccherini – a player who couldn’t even make it at Sunderland. Watching him play for Italy, though, he could have certainly passed for a Juventus player. And that’s probably what the folks Napoli thought when they decided to take him off the Black Cats’ books this summer.
Conte is making a star out of Oscar this season as well – not that he wasn’t one to begin with, but we could safely say that he looked just about done at Chelsea.
The Brazilian has certainly made a huge impact so far. And while new signing N’Golo Kante is getting most of the plaudits, albeit deservedly so, Oscar is more than thriving in Chelsea’s new-look midfield. The Brazil international, playing in as many games as Kante, has actually won more tackles than the former Leicester City man.
Oscar stats
Oscar has tackled successfully on 11 occasions this season, three times more than Kante, which makes for quite an impressive stat. But it’s not just all about defence, he’s as good on the other end too. In fact, Willian is the only midfielder who has made more key passes than Oscar at Chelsea, with eight to his compatriot’s seven.
The player was never one to really fill up a stat sheet, although he is well capable of scoring some top drawer goals. His biggest asset was always his ability to make the players around him better.
He is the most versatile midfielder at Chelsea, able to play anywhere across the midfield. He can drop deep to collect the ball under pressure, as well as press the opposition in their own half while cutting off passing lanes, which is why Mourinho preferred him to Juan Mata.
The now-Manchester United manager viewed Oscar as his No.10, but he wasn’t as consistent as the Portuguese would have liked him to be.
Oscar’s new role
Playing in a new role under Conte, however, Oscar looks the perfect fit. The Italian manager is playing him right where he needs to play, not as a No.10, but in a two-man set-up with Matic, while Kante operates at the base.
His attacking game has been really impressive. He is working balls into the box with neat passing and seems to know where everyone else is without even looking. He is expected to score a few goals as the season carries on, but his contributions have been just as important.
Up to this point, it has all worked out for Oscar, who hasn’t put a foot wrong since the start of the season. Credit goes to Conte’s tactical nous, yet it’s also fair to note the change in the player’s attitude brought about by the manager.
The players are all willing to fight for their new boss, and Oscar – in particular - is shining brightly as the Blues’ season takes shape.
