After quite a disappointing season last year, Chelsea seem to have found back their goal scoring flow under new boss Antonio Conte. The same players who were mere spectators last season have shown brilliant form this season and the Blues are going past opponents with ease. They are currently on a winning streak of 5 matches.
Sitting in at 2nd place in the league table, Chelsea’s rejuvenated form is largely due to Conte shifting the back line into 3-man set up. The deployment of wing backs has given rise to a new kind of threat which most opponents are unprepared for.
Stars
Eden Hazard
The Belgian winger has been in sublime form this season. Hazard, who was struggling to find the back of the net last season has scored seven goals this season, creating 20 chances and one assist. He is very difficult to stop at the moment and with the wing back providing enough cover in the left flank, he can express himself way better now. Hazard has completed 454 passes this season with a pass accuracy of 85%, of which 66% were forward passes.
Pedro
The Spanish forward took a bit longer than expected to fit in the Premier league but he has finally found his form. In his 10 appearances for Chelsea this season he has 2 goals and 5 assists. One goal was a very crucial opener against Manchester United that set the stage for the 4-0 humiliation. His average passing accuracy has been 82% this season and his link up play with Hazard has been impactful.
Diego Costa
After a silent season, where many linked the Spaniard out of the club, Costa has once again started firing. Currently, the highest scorer in the Premier league, Costa has nine goals and 3 assists in 11 appearances. He has an average of 3.4 shots per game.
Duds
Cesc Fabregas
Among the few players that have failed to find their form under Conte is Francesc Fabregas. It seems that the midfielder, who was one the main players who led the Blues to the title two years back, is not suitable for Conte’s playing style and consequently there are rumours of Conte trying to offload the midfielder in the winter transfer season.
He finds it hard to get into the first team this season appearing only 4 times. He has scored no goals this season, creating five chances and one assist. Although his offensive stats look decent with 79 pass completion this season with a pass accuracy of 82%, of which 91% were forward passes, he lacks defensive attributes which are essential to play under Conte.
Oscar
A similar situation like that of Fabregas, Oscar has 7 times this season scoring no goals this season, creating 15 chances and one assist. He has completed 197 passes this season with a pass accuracy of 84%, of which 71% were forward passes. But his average duels winning is 37%. With Hazard thriving in the central role, the future looks bleak for Oscar.
Branislav Ivanovic
After the humiliation against Arsenal in the Emirates Stadium, Ivanovic hasn’t really got into the team. Conte doesn’t see him in his 3-man defence. He has won nine tackles this season with a success rate of 56%. This sums up his lacklustre performance this season.
