Antonio Conte’s Chelsea stormed to the Premier League title last season, but time moves quickly in the busy world of club football, and they face bigger challenges in the UEFA Champions League.
Cynics would suggest that a champion is only as good as their performance in the next match – so the Blues will be eager to get off to a good start in Europe’s premier club competition.
Already, though, the Pensioners have plenty of reasons to be excited about their prospects of lifting the famous silver trophy, and stopping Real Madrid completing an unprecedented three-in-a-row.
So, let’s examine some of the positives for Chelsea’s UCL title hopes.
#1 Conte and his players have the hunger
The UCL has a way of weeding out the teams who just aren’t up to the task – it’s undoubtedly one of the most competitive tourneys in the world.
But Chelsea, having spent the 2016/17 season away from the action, will certainly be hungrier than ever to make their mark. Their previous two showings saw them reach the last 16, but the squad Conte has built is much stronger and more self-assured.
Desire means everything when it comes to this competition, and Conte has stated just how much the players have missed playing in the competition, and that should shine through in their performances.
More than that, knowing just how big a motivator Conte is, the Italian will use that to gee-up his players and get them excited, make them passionate and allow them to use the fact they were absent from Europe’s top table last season as a big incentive.
Chelsea last won the Champions League in 2012 when they overcame Bayern Munich on penalties – only David Luiz and Gary Cahill remain from that night, and while their experience will be vital as previous winners under Roberto Di Matteo, Conte will relish the opportunity to usher in a new period of dominance at the club, by doing things his way.
It might not be a coincidence the last manager to guide them to the UCL final was Italian – is that a good omen or what?
#2 Hazard and super Blues can shine on big stage
If last season was Eden Hazard’s Lazarus-like return, then the forthcoming UCL campaign will be his chance to come alive like never before.
At times, Hazard was exceptional, playing some wonderful football and scoring marvelous goals like that mazy individual dribble golazo against Arsenal. In all, he netted 17 goals and picked up five assists in all domestic competitions.
Blues fans will be hoping he has saved some magic for the continental match-nights to come because they will need him at his best.
Considering players of Hazard’s ability live for occasions like UCL match-nights, he will be expected to produce some awe-inspiring performances. After all, he is more than capable of it.
He can score goals, he can create assists and he can unsettle even the most set and organised of defences – make no mistake, Hazard is a dangerous weapon that Chelsea are lucky to have at their disposal and he will be used to full effect come the Autumn.
It looks like he will stay at Stamford Bridge throughout the course of next season and as he has said himself, his sights are firmly set on ‘continu[ing] to win trophies’ – why can’t the UCL be one of them?
#3 Kante’s engine provides stability and balance
Hazard makes opponents see double through dizzying dribbles. N’Golo Kante does so for different reasons.
It might be tantamount to cliche to suggest that he adds an extra player to their starting XI, but that’s also because it’s as close to the truth as you can get without clipping hyperbole. Kante is the necessary bite, engine and different sort of class that teams vying for UCL glory need.
He makes great passes, he links defence to attack smoothly to allow the more technically astute stars score goals, he gets his tackles in and he makes a nuisance of himself.
More importantly, he works harder than Santa Clause on Christmas eve – except he does it every weekend.
Having a fit Kante will be crucial to their hopes, but considering he has stayed injury free for so long, he doesn’t look prone to getting side-lined which Blues fans will keep their fingers crossed about moving forward.
Having him sit in midfield, moving up and down when necessary will allow Chelsea to pivot quickly, something which will mean a great deal to making opponents pay in the blink of an eye.
It’s no coincidence Madrid and Juventus made it to the final last time out – they had players like Casemiro and Miralem Pjanic dictating the tempo, breaking up play and moving the ball quickly from midfield.
That’s exactly what Kante can do next season, and his availability could be the difference between jubilation and disappointment – as long as he avoids an anonymous performance like the one he had in the FA Cup final.
#4 Incoming transfers will strengthen them further
Both Romelu Lukaku and Alvaro Morata could be joining Chelsea next season, and that’s just the attacking riches they could have up front.
After Diego Costa revealed that Conte doesn’t have room for him in his plans for next season, it looks highly likely that Lukaku and Morata could spearhead a new-look Blues attack – plus they would also have the prolific Michy Batshuayi on the bench to call upon when needed.
Between the Everton and Real Madrid men, they netted 46 goals in all club competitions last season and having that sort of firepower, which could well be almost doubly effective with better service coming into them in 2017/18, is precisely the sort of quality they need to win the UCL.
Moreover, Leonardo Bonucci, whom Conte is a big fan of, could join the Blues defence making it even more impregnable than it has been under the 3-5-2 system. Taking into account his UCL final experience and overall austere solidity, Bonucci would be a great purchase, even at 30 years of age.
Plenty of other top stars have been linked with the Londoners and it’s no surprise considering how much potential they have.
The summer could well be a transfer bonanza for the Pensioners.
#1 Conte’s system is good enough to push Chelsea close
It’s no secret that Conte loves to employ a 3-5-2 system, which can be equally defensive or attack-minded with the right tactical tweak.
Conte has brought about a revolution by using the system which was once popularised under Carlos Bilardo as manager of the Argentina national team – nowadays, even Arsene Wenger, who refused for years to not play four at the back, is following Conte’s approach.
Back in 2008, Jonathan Wilson chimed in at a time when 3-5-2 seemed dead in the water:
Not a single side at Euro 2008 used it; not a single side who reached the last 16 of the Champions League last season used it; not a single side in the Premier League uses it
How times change.
Now, it’s very much in vogue. The argument could be made that other teams will cop on to Chelsea’s methods and adapt to stop them, but by bringing in new faces, making little tweaks here and there and giving more freedom to Hazard, Chelsea can still make it work.
They are used to its peculiarities, they are ahead of the curve and have an excellent coach who is unafraid of big challenges, of making formational alterations and someone who knows how to manipulate scenarios in his favour. The future is looking up.
