Antonio Conte began his reign in the Premier League as Chelsea boss with a fortuitous yet deserved 2-1 win over Slaven Bilic’s West Ham United at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Eden Hazard and Diego Costa came to either side of James Collins’ strike to seal the deal for the West Londoners in a difficult game, dictated by long spells of attrition. Their record at home last season was disastrous with only five wins from 19 games, four of which were against sides at the foot of the table. Their only victory against teams from the top half of the table was a controversial 2-0 defeat of Arsenal, a contest marred by periodic scraps and red cards.
While Conte still has a massive job on his hands, considering the expanded dynamic of the Premier League no less exemplified by the Manchester giants, there is a genuine sense of belief and positivity at the Bridge given his track record back in his native, Italy. The former Juventus coach led the Italian national team to the quarterfinals of the Euros against all odds and pushed a far superior German side right down to the wire. What made this achievement all the more impressive was the lack of quality players and national sentiment he had to shoulder throughout the course of the tournament.
Known for his rigid methods and tactical discipline, Conte has so far added Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi from Marseille and the industrious N’Golo Kante from Leicester City to his squad, the latter being hailed one of the best and most important signings in the club’s history. Kante formed the bedrock of Leicester’s unlikely title triumph and was universally acclaimed for his tireless performances and ability to win the ball back in precarious positions from the opposition. While it remains to be seen who the Frenchman will partner in midfield, given a plethora of options at the manager’s disposal, it is certain the midfield dynamite will be central to Chelsea’s domestic revival, following an abysmal defence of their Premier League crown.
Another area Chelsea have been urged to strengthen is their rearguard. With Kurt Zouma still recovering from a ligament injury and Gary Cahill incapable of leading the backline all by himself, the task of marshalling the defensive gauntlet has once again been handed to John Terry. The departure of Baba Rahman on a season-long loan to Schalke has left them bare in the fullback department too and that is a critical issue Conte is expected to address before the transfer window shuts shop.
All those points said, it is the Italian’s pragmatic approach and rigorous style of implementation that may turn the tide for Chelsea. A sense of complacency creeped in last season with Jose Mourinho in charge and with Cesc Fabregas openly admitting the players were at fault for their nightmarish start, it is widely believed a strong headed coach with an ardent desire to improve constantly will reinvigorate the squad. Sometimes the carrot and stick method is deemed imperative to a team and with Conte having demonstrated those qualities to full effect in the past, Stamford Bridge might just become a daunting prospect for the rest of the Premier League once again.
Simply put, his teams are hard to break down, let alone beat.
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