5 ways Chelsea can keep up with the Manchester clubs

#5. Keep a balance and don’t spread too thinly

The return of Gary Cahill contributed to Chelsea's defensive collapse against Roma

With Chelsea currently in three competitions – the Premier League, the Champions League, and the Carabao Cup – with the FA Cup to follow as a fourth, it’s important that they try to keep a balance if they want to keep up with the Manchester sides, this season in particular. It’s no secret that the Blues have a smaller squad than those two sides, and so it’d be a smart idea for Antonio Conte to ensure that he chooses his teams carefully.

Last night saw Chelsea collapse to a 3-0 loss at Roma, and it was telling that the game saw another change to the Blues’ defence following their weekend win over Everton. This time Gary Cahill was reinstated to the back three, shunting Cezar Azpilicueta out wide, and rather than following up an impressive victory, Chelsea collapsed in painful fashion.

Conte may have masterminded the use of the three-man defence last season but what he seems to be struggling with this time is actually having a settled side for the trickiest and most important games. We’ve seen with successful sides before that while correct usage of a squad is all well and good, building a strong, consistent spine for your team is quite often more important when it comes to ensuring the big games are the ones you win.

Rather than constant fiddling, it could be an idea for Conte to use one set of players for the bigger games – i.e. Champions League and Premier League – and another for the two cup competitions, where injuries allow of course. It’d allow for more consistency, which could be the key to overhauling the Manchester sides.