So, that’s the CRISIS officially over, then. Three wins on the spin after that shambolic Burnley defeat on the opening day have propelled Chelsea to third in this nascent Premier League table. Kante returned to his former club and scored a long-ranger that rolled past the Leicester ‘keeper, while Morata scored yet another header. Vardy pulled one back for the hosts, although Chelsea could (and should) have scored a few more, but settled for a 2-1 win.
Here are your five talking points from a three-star performance.
#1 Fiddling With Formations:
Antonio Conte loves playing around with his formations, much to the annoyance of opposition managers. This time, he opted to start with a 3-5-2 with Pedro supporting Morata up front. Willian took his place on the bench while Fabregas started in midfield with Bakayoko and Kante. Will this be the formation of choice once Hazard is back? Probably not. But it’s always good to have something up one’s sleeve; a Plan B, if you will. The 3-5-2 provides increased tactical flexibility to an already fluid lineup. It can only mean good things for the future.
#2 Penalty? Don’t be daft:
Chelsea had two penalty appeals denied for handball, which could have come back to bite us on the arse in any other game. Fortunately, it wasn’t to be, and two legitimate goals were enough to put the tie to bed. That Lee Mason is one lucky boy.
#3 Midfield Managed:
Bakayoko started ahead of former Foxes midfielder and deadline-day signing, Danny Drinkwater, and took little time in showing why Matic was considered expendable by Conte. The Frenchman bossed the midfield, even though his passing let him down at times. In all other areas, such as tackling, duels and take-ons, Bakayoko was the bee’s knees. He alongside Kante has the potential to be one of the strongest and most balanced midfield pairings in the league.
#4 Kante Can:
N’Golo Kante, the reigning PFA Player Of The Year, scored against his former employers with a speculative effort from distance. That simply served as a cherry on top of the cake of his all-round performance. If he can add goals to his considerable repertoire of skills, other midfielders might as well pack up and go home.
#5 “Diego Who?”:
Ooh, that must sting. While Diego Costa is living it large in Brazil and hoping to secure a move away from Chelsea by hook or by crook, his replacement continues to generate headlines for all the right reasons. Morata scored his third goal for Chelsea in four games – a guided header from an Azpilicueta cross (might need to copy-paste this sentence many more times). But Conte still insists we’re not seeing the best version of Morata yet. We can only wonder what that might look like and we can’t wait!
Next up, is the big one against the Wenger-boys at home. Another Morata and midfield masterclass will be needed to make amends for the last two losses against the same opponents. A close encounter awaits.