Chelsea must trust manager Antonio Conte 

Chelsea v West Bromwich Albion - Premier League
Conte has had a memorable season, for all the wrong reasons

A superb Man of the Match performance from Eden Hazard on Monday night gave Chelsea much-needed succour after two heavy losses against Bournemouth and Watford.

The 3-0 win would come as a huge relief for manager Antonio Conte and his team who face FC Barcelona next week in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 and will have improved the gloomy atmosphere at the club.

Things have not gone Chelsea's way, with the club currently lying in fourth in the Premier League following an inconsistent performance across the season which has seen the club drop points in unexpected games.

Conte's second season in charge of Chelsea started quite roughly , with the club unable/unwilling to secure the signings he wanted despite showing interest in a number of players.

Also read: Messi can't be stopped, says Morata

Recent results have fanned the rumours (via SkySports) about a possible parting of ways with ex-Barca supremo, Luis Enrique the latest to be linked with the job.

The Italian is still tied to the Blues till 2019, but recent events have indicated that the former Juventus boss might not see out his contract with the English champions, with rumours of a return to Italy rife in the news media. Also, Antonio Conte's reportedly strained relationship with the board might well cost him his job by the end of the season.

Notwithstanding, Chelsea must trust the manager and hope that he turns around the current situation at the club.

A successful season which saw Chelsea crowned champions in grand style following a straight run of 13 straight wins indicates that Conte is capable of improving the fortunes of the club and with Chelsea still in the FA Cup and Champions League, the Italian could spring another title-winning surprise at the club.

Watford v Chelsea - Premier League
Antonio Conte's future at Chelsea looks gloomy

Conte has seen Chelsea miss out on most of his desired transfer targets and has had to make do with the options he has been provided with.

The Blues have added Emerson Palmeri, Olivier Giroud, and Ross Barkley from the January transfer window to a squad that lacked depth at the beginning of the season and Giroud's performance against West Brom could give Conte a different dimension in the attack in the absence of Alvaro Morata.

Conte has shown a willingness to tweak and change formations when results have not gone his way since his days from Juventus and that was evident in his successful first season at Chelsea.

The man who managed Italy with distinction at Euro 2016, has done that this season, switching to a 3-5-2 formation from the title-winning 3-4-3 formation, deploying Hazard as a false nine, a move which has not been totally successfully over the season.

Morata's return and Giroud's performance will give Conte the needed boost as he prepares his side for next week's challenge against Barcelona

The Blues currently lie in fourth on the table, 19 points behind Manchester City and narrowly missed out on the Carabao cup final. The London based club still have a chance at silverware in the FA Cup and the Champions League and would begin the hunt with a tie against Hull City at the weekend and Barcelona next week.

Conte faces a huge task of ending the season with at least a trophy, and to keep his job, he must deliver. He has shown that he is capable and the Blues must trust him to do his job.

Hull and Barcelona are obstacles to ending the season with a trophy, and Conte must be well prepared to deliver. With an on-fire Eden Hazard, Conte and Chelsea have a chance at ending the season on a high.

Also read: We are Chelsea, we are the champions - Hazard defiant after West Brom win

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Edited by Ashwin Hanagudu