Ten points from four games is a great return in any league but coming under a new manager in a new league certainly is a great achievement. Many pundits had expected a mini-Chelsea revival under the former Juventus and Italy manager but no one would have expected a change in the form of many players.
Chelsea haven’t really changed all that much under Conte as they were under Jose Mourinho. Barring N’Golo Kante and Michy Batshuayi, no one new has really done much at Chelsea. The Blues seem to be a unit after a long time and credit for that must go to Conte.
This is the same team that looked out of sorts, from the attack right to the goalkeeping spot last season. The game against Swansea did prop up some of the familiar failings but this is a new Chelsea. Even after trailing 2-1, the Blues did not buckle under the pressure and for the third time in the season, Costa came to rescue a point.
The Spaniard scored his fourth goal of the Premier League season, something he needed four months to do last season. Costa looks like the player he was during his first season at Chelsea. He looks to be in great touch, and it seems the regime before the start of the season has brought the sharpness back in the Spanish striker.
Conte seems to be working his magic with another player as well. Eden Hazard had a terrible time last season for the Blues but the Belgian wizard is back to his best and he too has two goals in the Premier League this season. Hazard only got his first Premier League goal last season during the month of April. Chelsea looks a different class when both these stars have taken to the pitch with full pedigree.
The other reason why the Blues are doing pretty well is because of one of the new boys. N’Golo Kante certainly has been exactly what Chelsea have needed, steel in the heart of the midfield. The pairing of Nemanja Matic and the former Leicester man has given a lot of protection for the back four and also a lot of toughness in the middle of the park.
Dropping Cesc Fabregas to the bench for cameo roles is another tactic that seems to be working just fine for Chelsea at the moment. The Spanish star might not like his role in the team but Conte thinks this is working fine for them and that is all that matters.
Now that David Luiz and Marcos Alonso have had a bit of time to get used to Chelsea’s new playing style, it will be interesting to see just how things go for the London club. Conte has brought an extra edge to the side that was missing for a while and the Blues could end up winning the league title if they continue playing like this.
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