Chelsea have been one of the standout performers in the Premier League this season. Despite bringing in a new coach and not changing the squad a lot since last season, the Blues have won their first three games without a lot of fuss.
Antonio Conte has brought his style of play at Chelsea and most of the players have taken to it like a fish does to swimming. That might not have been the best comparison but the London club do look capable of winning the league at the moment.
The two players who have been the biggest signings so far are N’Golo Kante and Michy Batshuayi. We will reserve out judgement on David Luiz and Marcos Alonso once they get a few minutes under their belt but this Chelsea team is basically the identical team that struggled for large chunks last season.
Diego Costa looks rejuvenated and has already scored four goals in the Premier League season and also has the highest shooting accuracy in the team. The player who actually has taken most shots on average in four games is Eden Hazard with 4 per game but with an accuracy of just 62%.
The Belgian seems to be on fire this season as well, with the two goals he has scored in the league, Hazard is one of the best when it comes to one on ones and has a success rate of 74%, which is an astonishing record so far.
While the former Lille man has been doing the deed in the attack, N’Golo Kante, formerly of Leicester, is also performing very well for the London club. The Frenchman might not have picked up stats that are eye-popping but he has provided Chelsea with a bit of stability in midfield.
Who stars in the defence?
One glaring issue for Chelsea before the start of the season was how the defence was going to perform under Antonio Conte. The Italian did not bring in a central defender despite being linked with a move for Bonucci of Juventus and has stuck with the same players from last season.
While John Terry was given a new one-year deal before the start of the season, the player who has impressed the most has to be Gary Cahill. The English defender has played every minute of the first four games and has averaged 2.3 interceptions per game and 4.3 clearances per game, the highest in the Chelsea team.
N’Golo Kante even comes up in this stat battle with 1.8 interceptions per game and 1 clearance and it is expected the Frenchman will grow into this role with the games to come. John Terry does come a close second in the list but another impressive player has been Branislav Ivanovic.
The Serbian has really picked it up this season with 3.33 clearances and 1.5 interceptions per game. The defender has also won 61% of his duels and has found a new lease on life under Conte.
Chelsea have looked great so far and a lot of credit actually goes to Eden Hazard for playing like his best. He is back to his goal scoring best and is setting up players for chances too. He certainly has been the best player so far this season but Gary Cahill does come a close second.
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