After a shaky start to their Premier League campaign this season which led all to believe that a change in staff did little to their playing confidence from the previous season, Chelsea have risen from the ashes. They are currently on a five-match winning streak and goals are coming in numbers for the Blues.
Antonio Conte’s three-man defence seems to have shut everyone out and at the same time provide more attacking impetus up front for his team and players like Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, who were silent spectators last season have again started performing. A lot of credit goes to Chelsea’s transfers this summer, who, although took time to adjust to the league, have been brilliant since that Arsenal match.
Michy Batshuayi (7.5/ 10)
The 23-year-old Belgian came to the spotlight with his absolute stunner in the Euro 2016 tournament. He didn’t get too many chances in the Euros and he has seen the same in his current club.
Batshuayi has 3 goals and 1 assists in 11 appearances for Chelsea. But a closer look says, he has scored 2 goals in the English League Cup, where he appeared 3 times and played 224 minutes. He has scored after every 112 minutes in that tournament.
In the league, he has got very little to prove till now playing only 75 minutes in 8 matches and still has managed 1 goal and 1 assist. Despite the lack of game time, he has been impressive whenever he has been called upon.
David Luiz (8.5/ 10)
What a buy this has been for Chelsea. When Conte decided to bring back Luiz who the club had sold a few years back, it raised many eyebrows and when Chelsea went down 3-0 to Arsenal, that decision came heavily under criticism. But since then Luiz has been the most influential defenders in the Premier League.
In fact, Conte’s defensive tactics depend highly on the Brazilian. He has been a regular in Conte’s back line and one of the main reasons why John Terry hasn’t made it to the first team alongside Cahill and Azpilicueta. His passing accuracy has been 84.5 percent and he wins an average of 1.6 aerial duels per game. Some resurrection, ladies and gentlemen!
N’Golo Kanté (9/ 10)
The only Leicester City player to continue his form from last season, Kanté has been just brilliant for Chelsea. With an unparalleled stamina in the midfield, he has improved the performance of Matic too. His goal against United was his first for Chelsea and it showed he can attack when required too!
With a passing accuracy of 90.1 percent, he is undoubtedly the best buy for the Blues. His impact at Leicester was so big last season that they are tottering at the moment after selling him.
Marcos Alonso (8/10)
The Spaniard has given a new meaning to Conte’s wing back deployment. Although Moses has been the most exemplary in that position, Alonso has put in more under the radar performances in both defending and in the attack. It is for his assured and disciplined play that Eden Hazard is able to express himself.
