#4 Conte’s personnel rotation proves to be a masterstroke yet again
It has been said several times over the past few days but this needs to be said again.
As evidenced against Tottenham Hotspur in last week’s FA Cup semi-final and again in midweek against Southampton, Antonio Conte’s shuffling and management of key players have paid off remarkably well for Chelsea.
Eden Hazard and Diego Costa watched from the bench for over an hour against Spurs before being brought on. It paid off instantly as Hazard scored one and created another to put the Blues through to the final.
On Wednesday at Stamford Bridge, Hazard and Costa both started the game along with Cesc Fabregas and Victor Moses, as Pedro and Willian were confined to the bench.
Despite Fabregas being influential in the Blues’ win, Conte went for Pedro today, putting team and tactics ahead of sentiment and form. It worked to the T as the Chelsea number 11 proved to be the difference-maker, breaking the deadlock at a crucial time in the game.
The late substitutions of Fabregas and Willian and the two combining to create Chelsea’s third within a minute of the Brazilian’s introduction ensured full marks to Conte for effective and fruitful player management.
