With more than half of the 2016/17 Premier League campaign elapsed, Chelsea FC are sitting pretty at the top of the table, five points clear of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and eight points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal.
Last season’s dismal campaign is fast becoming a distant memory and the summer managerial appointment of wily Italian Antonio Conte is increasingly looking like an incredibly shrewd move by Blues owner Roman Abramovich.
What’s changed since 2015/16?
On and off the pitch, Chelsea looked troubled last season. Jose Mourinho’s second managerial era at Stamford Bridge was ill-fated, despite a strong start and a title win in 2015. Key players lacked confidence in their leader and off-field spats with top scorer Diego Costa led to Mourinho’s dismissal.
There is certainly a feeling that Chelsea bottomed-out last term. Even the most loyal Blues fans would probably agree that they needed the despair of a 10th placed finish to shock the club’s hierarchy back into life. With no Champions League campaign to plan for this term, new supremo Antonio Conte and his players could focus firmly on a Premier League assault.
What’s Conte added?
Conte is famed for utilising a 3-4-3 formation – used to great effect with the Italian national side – and his desire to adopt the same system at Stamford Bridge saw the Italian make a couple of very important summer signings to augment his plans.
Enigmatic Brazilian defender David Luiz was prized away from French giants PSG for a second spell in West London in a £30m deal. Luiz’ ball-playing capabilities made him a prime candidate for a three-man Chelsea backline, which would defend zonally and look to keep the ball short to the midfield and wing backs.
Last season, Chelsea’s weak spine was cruelly exposed and who better to become Chelsea’s midfield axis for 2016/17 than Leicester’s title-winning anchorman, N’Golo Kante?
The Frenchman provided the defensive platform for Leicester’s counter-attacking style last term and with Conte a fan of playing on the counter, Kante’s £30m switch from the King Power Stadium was a real statement of intent from the Blues.
Kante has added verve and drive to the Chelsea engine room this season and his presence has allowed the likes of Eden Hazard and Willian to flourish in the final third. More importantly, star striker Diego Costa is playing with a smile on his face once more – his working relationship with Conte appearing to be rather more amicable than that with his former boss.
A look ahead
So, with Chelsea demonstrating steel at the back and a killer instinct in the final third, 2017 promises to be a very exciting year for Blues followers.
January and early February could certainly be defining moments of the season for Chelsea, given that they have to travel to second-placed Liverpool on 31st January and then host London rivals Arsenal the following week. Victory in both of those games could leave the rest of the title contenders in the Blues’ wake, considering the dominance the ‘Big Six’ have had over the other teams in the league this season.
Following those two fixtures, Chelsea face Burnley, Swansea and West Ham, giving Conte’s men a real chance to open up an even bigger lead going into the final quarter of the campaign.
Without Champions League distractions, Chelsea are also one of the favourites for this season’s FA Cup. League One Peterborough United were brushed aside with ease in the 3rd round and with a home draw against West London neighbours Brentford in the 4th round there’s every chance Chelsea can go deep in the competition once again.
The January transfer window also offers Conte an opportunity to further strengthen his hand for the second half of the campaign. A successful loan spell at Bournemouth for Dutch defender Nathan Ake has seen Conte recall the youngster, giving him additional options in the backline.
Experienced Spanish striker Fernando Llorente has been widely linked with a short-term switch to Stamford Bridge until the end of the season too, providing adequate back-up for Diego Costa in attack.
Off the pitch, the club is hoping to make significant strides in terms of infrastructure in 2017. A £500m, 60,000-seater stadium has been approved by Hammersmith and Fulham planning council.
After a season truly in the doldrums, there can be no doubt that Chelsea are re-emerging as one of the country’s leading lights. A fifth top flight title is looking a distinct possibility in 2017 and the green light for plans to rebuild and expand Stamford Bridge would surely be the cherry on top for the Blues faithful this year.
Chelsea’s consistent form this season – including a 13-game winning streak – has seen Conte’s men become a staple weekend pick for punters once again. For free football tips and betting insight on Chelsea and other Premier League fixtures, visit BettingGods.com
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