Another week, another win. Antonio Conte and Chelsea are off to a flyer in the Premier League as the London club now sits atop the league for the first time since lifting the trophy two seasons ago. Albeit against Burnley, this recent 3-0 win shows the true dominance this Chelsea side is capable of demonstrating. Here are five things we took away from the team’s fourth straight win.
Find a way to get Moses on the field
Victor Moses has impressed as of late, after succumbing to being a loan target for much of the last three seasons. Coming on as a substitute for Pedro against Watford, Moses was a game changer, eventually helping Chelsea win 2-1. His strong performance garnered him a spot for the EFL Cup fixture against Bristol Rovers, where he managed to get on the scoresheet.
Against Burnley, due to Willian coming back into full fitness after a minor calf injury, Moses was placed back on the bench, but made an appearance in the 76th minute. In the 18 minutes he was on the pitch, Moses’ impact was felt almost immediately as he linked up with the other two subs in Michy Batshuayi and Pedro to orchestrate a move that resulted in him getting on the scoresheet.
Moses is one of Chelsea’s best assets, even impressing regularly for West Ham last season when the side qualified for Europe. There should definitely be a place for him on the side, and one would even think, he warrants a chance over Willian more frequently to show what he is capable of producing.
Costa and Batshuayi need to play together
Diego Costa has looked steps beyond the ability he put on display for much of last season, but that’s not to say he can’t get more dominant. Luckily for Chelsea, that solution is already in-house. Summer buy Michy Batshuayi holds the key to unlocking Costa’s true ability.
Coming on as a sub in every Premier League game thus far this season, bagging an assist and goal, and then scoring a brace against Bristol Rovers in the EFL Cup, Batshuayi has proved more than formidable. Batshuayi is able to create his own shot while Costa relies on the work of others. Batshuayi is a quick forward that can beat defenders, Costa is a physical specimen that can body his way into space.
In the 3-0 win over Burnley, Costa, who featured for 79 minutes before being replaced by Batshuayi, got in various scoring positions, managing to take five shots of which two landed on target. He could have easily scored had it not been for a mixture of Tom Heaton’s fantastic goalkeeping or the powerless attempts he seemed to produce in front of goal. But Batshuayi changes that dynamic up front.
Batshuayi would open up more space in the box, presenting another target, allowing Costa to thrive as the two work in tandem to create more concrete goal scoring opportunities.
Hazard is back
Perhaps the most essential cog of Chelsea’s new team ethos, Eden Hazard was unaccountable for much of last season, but after successful Euro 2016 and preseason campaigns, the Belgium winger seems to have found his groove.
Scoring the first goal of the Antonio Conte era, a penalty against West Ham, Hazard managed to add to his tally against Burnley, receiving a decisive pass from Nemanja Matic, prior to firing it in from outside of the box.
Hazard managed to take seven shots, four being on target, while also making two key passes, two dribbles and getting fouled three times. Hazard was also able to complete 81.8% of his 66 passes, while also contributing six crosses.
With it seeming as if the James Rodriguez rumor has died out, with Zinedine Zidane expressing interest in utilizing the Colombian more, Hazard’s contributions will be vital in defining how far Chelsea can go this season. He’s certainly proving to be the catalyst three games in.
N’Golo Kante is an early contender for transfer of the summer
£32 million: The cost to acquire N’Golo Kante from Leicester City this summer. 93.4%: N’Golo Kante’s pass completion percentage since joining Chelsea.
The small France midfielder has certainly proven his might for the London club, only four games into his tenure with the side. Most recently against Burnley, Kante looked formidable. Over 62 pass attempts, Kante was able to complete 93.6%.
Outside of statistical analysis, Conte has been lining up Kante behind his four midfielders, utilizing a 4-1-4-1 to start games. Kante represents the line of resistance between the midfield and the defence. Due to his ability to distribute out of the back and hold his own against others, as evidenced by his two tackles and two interceptions against Burnley, Kante’s standout performances have certainly allowed others in the side to strive.
Between Willian and Hazard, the two players playing on the wing for Chelsea, the offensive freedom was evident as they posted a combined 15 crosses into the box over the course of the game. Kante, completely selfless in his play style, opens up the pitching, allowing Chelsea’s multitude of attacking options get forward, knowing insurance lies in the back.
Matic puts in strong performance
Between injuries and poor form, Matic was non-existent for Chelsea over the course of last season, but this season has proved to be a renaissance for the Serbian central midfielder.
Matic has gotten more freedom due to the contributions of N’Golo Kante, effectively outplaying Cesc Fabregas from the side. Playing just ahead of Kante, Matic was able to total 68 pass attempts, competing 86.8% of them.
Defensively, Matic snuffed out any chances Burnley had, posting one tackle, two interceptions and two clearances. If Matic is able to keep this up, it will be hard to see Fabregas back in the side anytime soon, barring formation changes or a change of form of Oscar.
