The 2015/16 season saw Chelsea put up the worst title defence in Premier League history. But barely six months later, with Antonio Conte now at the helm, the Blues have won seven games in a row after switching to a variation of the 3-4-3 system. This run has catapulted the Londoners to the top of the table.
Also read: 5 reasons why Liverpool will not win the Premier League
Here are five reasons why they are title favourites.
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#1 The Back Three and the Wingbacks
Chelsea’s defence has conceded only a single goal since their aforementioned change of formation. A large part of the credit for this feat should go to their three-man backline comprising of David Luiz, Cesar Azpilicueta and Gary Cahill.
The trio’s roles have been beautifully crafted to optimise their strengths and minimise their weaknesses. This master stroke has made this threesome the heart of the best defence in the league. While Cahill and Azpilicueta have always been considered to be two of the finest defenders in the league, the performances of David Luiz have come as a bit of a surprise.
The Brazilian, who has been maligned by the English media because of his erratic tendencies, has curbed his bad habits and commanded the backline with ease and grace. A huge improvement from the performances that led Gary Neville to label him a “Playstation Defender.”
One of the crucial factors in the success of any system featuring three at the back is the performance of the wingbacks because they must provide width and spacing in addition to fulfilling their defensive responsibilities.
Juventus, who Chelsea are looking to emulate, have invested heavily in these positions with the likes of Dani Alves, Patrice Evra, Stephan Lichsteiner, Kwadwo Asamoah and Alex Sandro all playing the Wing Back role at some point in the last five years.
Chelsea,on the other hand, have gambled by filling in these positions with two journeymen in Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso. But to the pair’s utmost credit they have both gone about their business with aplomb. They’ve adapted to different situations seamlessly, combining overlapping runs and accurate crosses with tactical discipline and astute defending.
They’ve also scored three goals in the seven games that they’ve started, the most notable of these being Victor Moses’s winner, which ended Tottenham’s unbeaten run in the Premier League.
#2 Counter-attacking prowess
Chelsea, who are already hard to beat due to their defensive solidarity, become almost invincible whenever they take a lead. As evidenced by the fact that they have only failed to win one league game this season after going ahead.
This is largely due to their potency on the break, teams who have had to chase games against Chelsea have been ruthlessly dispatched by the Blues’ attacking trident. The best illustration of this was the Manchester United game, where Chelsea put on a counter-attacking clinic to vanquish their former manager’s side 4-0.
A facet of this strategy that has gone under the radar, is the perennially under-rated double pivot of Matic and Kante, who have excelled at setting up breaks by winning the ball back in midfield and picking the correct pass. The duo lead the league in tackles won from midfield at the time of writing.
#3 Antonio Conte’s proven pedigree
One of the main reasons for Chelsea’s resurgence this season has been the arrival of Antonio Conte. The Italian’s passion and tactical nous have been instrumental in getting the Blues back into form.
His introduction of the 3-4-3 system, in particular, has been a masterstroke, it has given his side the balance that they have craved for the last couple of years and it has given them a great opportunity to bring the title back to Stamford Bridge.
This should come as no surprise given Conte’s pedigree, he has proven himself as a top manager many times over. The 47-year-old has a CV that few can match - he was the one who laid the foundation for the dominance that Juventus have enjoyed in Serie A over the last 6 years.
He not only snatched the Scudetto from the grasp of the Milan clubs, but he also constructed the spine of the Juventus team, that we still see today. He was also tremendous with Italy in the 2016 Euros. He took an Azzurri team that had been branded “The Worst Italian team in 50 years” all the way to a penalty shoot-out against Germany in the Quarterfinals. They recorded wins against Belgium and Spain en route to the last 8.
These accomplishments make it easy to say that he has earned the right to be regarded as one of the best managers in the league.
#4 Eden Hazard & Diego Costa’s rebirth
In the 2015/16 season, both these players performed at a level far beneath their standards and they were in many ways emblematic of Chelsea as a whole. But they’re back to their best this season and it is glorious to watch.
Now liberated from the shackles imposed on him by Jose Mourinho, Eden Hazard looks like a different player than the one we saw last season. The Belgian is now playing more directly than even before and he has been rewarded with seven goals in thirteen appearances.
Hazard has also been aided by the fact that his partner in crime Diego Costa has been at his snarling best this season. The former Atletico Madrid hitman is now joined top scorer in the league, with ten goals in thirteen starts. Another interesting narrative this season has been the Spaniard’s development as a well-rounded striker, his off the ball movement and link-up play have improved tremendously. This has resulted in him notching 4 assists this season.
#5 Lack of European Football
This is going to be the X-factor in Chelsea’s title challenge. While they have missed out on the revenue they would’ve earned by qualifying for the Champions League, Chelsea can take solace from the fact that their lack of European Football leaves them without any mid-week games to deal with.
This means that Antonio Conte will have more time on the training field to prepare his men for their weekend assignments and that they will also go into these games with fresher legs than the other title contenders. Two great examples of teams who have cashed in on this benefit in recent times are Liverpool in 2013-14 and Leicester City last year.
