At the start of the season, he kicked off with victories over West Ham, Watford and Burnley. However, there was still a feel of discomfort amongst the Chelsea ranks and supporters during the game. The kind of uncertainty during the Mourinho era. Chelsea did always seem a favorite to win, however no one really knew where the goal was to come from. It didn’t take long for the cracks to show. A draw at Swansea and a battering at the hands of both Liverpool and Arsenal was enough for Conte to finally decide to come up with a new plan.
The initial phase of the season was almost as if Conte was trying to tell everyone, “Look I can try it your way but it might not work” – and it didn’t
The absolute annihilation at the Emirates, forced Conte to shift to a new system. 3-4-3. It’s amazing how common this strategy has become since Conte adopted it after the Arsenal game. But the fact of the matter is, that teams had been trying it before Chelsea and the early Ferguson era and Liverpool in some parts of their play had been using it but to little or no avail. The truth is, Conte got the players for their roles in 3-4-3.
Kante, Alonso, Luiz and Moses might seem a household name for the Blues now, but Conte rejuvenated them into the squad and most importantly for this strategy of his. Chelsea are now eleven games unbeaten with a cleansheet of nine amongst those eleven victories. Costa has found a spring in his step and attitude, Hazard has been resurrected from the dead, Cesc does not mind coming on in the 75th minute to transform the game, even Terry feels that if Chelsea keep winning there’s no need for him to return.
Chelsea are on a serious “Catch me if you can” rampage in the Premier League. Other teams need to step up their game or Chelsea are running away with it, as it seems.
