Chelsea come back from the international break, looking to keep their impressive run of five straight Premier League wins. The Blues face a trip to Riverside Stadium on Sunday to take on Aitor Karanka’s newly-promoted Middlesbrough. Chelsea had won all their five games before the international break and will be looking to go on a similar run of form after the disruption caused by the break.
Conte’s 3-4-3 system has worked like magic in West London with the Blues not only winning all their last five games but conceded a total of zero goals in the process. Conte cannot afford to take Boro lightly though as the Teesside club have shown that they have what it takes to stun the bigger sides. They had recently come back from Arsenal and Manchester City with vital away points and Chelsea have to be wary of the Teesside club.
Here are three key battles those could decide the game.
Eden Hazard Vs Antonio Barragan
What a season Eden Hazard is having at Stamford Bridge! He has proven his doubters wrong with his excellent displays this campaign having scored 7 goals from 11 games. The Belgian has been excellent with his dribbling and creativity and is getting the end product to his game.
The Belgian will have a strong contest on his flank against Boro right-back Antonio Barragan. Boro play very deep and Chelsea might find it hard to break them down. Experienced Barragan has to ensure that he keeps Eden Hazard out of the game if Boro have to salvage anything from the game.
David Luiz Vs Alvaro Negredo
Boro brought in Negredo from Valencia this summer as their marquee signing but it seems that the Spaniard has left his scoring boots back in Spain. After 11 Premier League games, the 31-year-old has found the back of the net just once and needs to pick up his game soon.
Chelsea’s defence has looked impenetrable lately and Luiz plays a key role in that. Luiz not only offers a solid defensive duty but also sets the foundation of the team from deep with his passing. The contest between Luiz and Negredo will be something to look forward to.
Gaston Ramirez Vs Victor Moses
Ramirez has been pretty impressive of late and is likely to start on the left flank against Chelsea. The Uruguayan international scored a wonder goal against Bournemouth before the international break and will be looking to stun the high-flying Blues.
Victor Moses is enjoying his game in the right wing-back role but needs to take special care of Ramirez and keep him silent.
