Chelsea are head and shoulders above any other Premier League team at the moment and as things stand, are well on their way to clinching this season’s Premier League title. Antonio Conte has been brilliant in the way he has adjusted his tactics and after a slightly uneven start to the season, he has made sure that the team’s tactics are set up in a manner which would allow every player to perform to the best of their potential. Their display this season has been even more commendable because of the fact that they weren’t given any chance when the season started.
It was all about the Manchester clubs and the deadly combo of stability and spending at Arsenal which took away all the headlines. But Conte would have loved exactly that and was busy behind the scenes working out a formula to do exactly what he has done.
But what should be mentioned at the same time are the factors which have helped Chelsea in their journey till now. Last season’s dismal run made sure that Chelsea would not be competing in Europe this season. And that has resulted in an automatic reduction in the number of matches which has resultantly led to longer recovery time between games and the Blues have used the time smartly and despite Conte’s intense methods, they have managed to stay largely clear of injuries and this has helped the Italian mostly choose an unchanged side.
But things are not expected to be the same next year as Chelsea will have the Champions League and will be facing a stronger City and United side along with the other usual contenders. With the intensity and the competitive nature of the league at an all-time high, there cannot be any guarantees regarding the availability of the players throughout the season. Chelsea have a closely-knit group but their depth in quality is not up to the mark.
Hence, reports linking them with Monaco high-flyer Thomas Lemar hasn’t come as a surprise. Lemar has lit up the Ligue 1 along with a number of other Monaco attackers. They have simply been unstoppable and the players have become the talk of the big clubs in Europe.
He has scored 10 goals and has 6 assists to his name already and although he has a contract running till 2020, Chelsea will have no qualms about spending big money for a player, many believe can be one of the best in the coming seasons. A number of other Premier League clubs are also monitoring the situation and it is looking likely that the player will find himself at a new club come next season.
