#4 Chelsea are in it to win it
Antonio Conte is adapting to the Premier League. In his defence, the man inherited a squad full of issues. From an Ivanovic in decline to a Costa struggling to make a positive impact in a game to an Eden Hazard who looked shorn of any confidence whatsoever,;Conte had his hands full when the season started.
Slowly but surely, he has ironed out the kinks. Ivanovic in decline? Switch to a 3-5-2 using new recruits Luiz and Alonso in positions where they can showcase their skill sets and where damage can be minimized.
Costa and Hazard have definitely been spoken to and regained their confidence, as on Saturday they linked up well, drifted wide and ran at defenders. Kante looks the real deal in midfield, ably shepherded by the reinvigorated Matic. Azipilicueta already looks he has been a centre-back his whole life and the team has been told be more creative and positive.
This is a Chelsea side on the rise and opponents will do well not to underestimate them. If further proof was required of how deep their squad is, then take note of this: Fabregas, Batshuayi, and Oscar didn’t play a single minute and Willian had flown back to Brazil to be with his family after his mother’s unfortunate and untimely demise. What did Chelsea do?
Dominated posession, scored two before the break, ensured that Musa and Vardy were marked out of the game, whilst Victor Moses showed he can be called off the bench when the time arises and the team blooded three of their youngsters. All on the way to a comfortable 3-0 win. Not a bad afternoon’s work at all.
