#3 Antonio Conte makes inspired substitutions
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Managers are judged on their ability to force the direction of the game in his team’s favour when the going gets tough. Antonio Conte – well renowned for his tactical masterclass in Italy’s Euro 2016 campaign – showed why Chelsea are a team to fear this season even when their backs are against the wall.
With his team 1-0 down and desperately needing a lift, he sent Michy Batshuayi and Cesc Fabregas on with the expectation that the duo would turn Chelsea’s fortunes around. They responded in perfect fashion. Batshuayi shone first, scoring a typical poacher’s goal by following up Eden Hazard’s shot which Hornet’s keeper Heurelho Gomes failed to hold on to.
However, it was Cesc Fabregas’ presence on the pitch which put the ball in Chelse’s court. He had a say in the first goal, setting up Hazard for the initial shot. Following that, he led Chelsea’s counter-attack for the winner, finding Diego Costa who made no mistake in slotting the ball home past Gomes.
Conte once again deserves a pat on the back for making an impact from the sidelines – switching to a striking partnership between Batshuayi and Costa and deploying Fabregas behind them.
