Antonio Conte’s squad rotation against Tottenham reflects Chelsea’s priorities

Antonio Conte brought two players from the fringes into the starting XI against Tottenham Hotspur. Nathan Ake and Michy Batshuayi showed that squad rotation is compatible with Conte’s ambitions.

Even when Chelsea had a more comfortable margin atop the Premier League, Antonio Conte’s focus on securing the title underpinned his reluctance to rotate his squad. He played his best XI even against weaker opponents to maximize the chance of a win. Injuries appeared to be the only way players like Michy Batshuayi and Nathan Ake would find a chance to play.

Gary Cahill contracted gastroenteritis in the days following Chelsea’s fixture with Manchester United. Before the FA Cup semi-final, Conte stressed that John Terry would only play in the centre of the back-line in place of David Luiz. Since David Luiz was healthy, Conte foreclosed the possibility of Terry playing on the left side. This also ruled out a multi-player shift like he employed against United to cover for Marcos Alonso’s absence.

Conte played Nathan Ake out of necessity in place of Gary Cahill. At the top of Chelsea’s formation, though, Conte elected to rest Eden Hazard and Diego Costa. Hazard has been Conte’s replacement during Costa’s few absences this season. By taking them both out of the lineup, he set up the one scenario that would bring Michy Batshuayi into the starting XI.

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Conte’s decision to keep Costa and Hazard in reserve against Tottenham says as much about his priorities as it does his faith in his squad. Only four points separate Chelsea and Tottenham in the league standings. The Blues play Southampton 72 hours after the FA Cup tie, while Spurs have an extra day of rest. Conte may not have been risking Chelsea’s FA Cup run, but he certainly gave it second billing.

"I hope for the sake of players like Nathan Ake and Michy Batshuayi that they don’t see it [as a second priority]. They should feel trusted enough now to buy into what Antonio Conte is trying to achieve and hopefully they’ve been able to prove themselves. – Rayna Sidhu, The Blue Lions"

Antonio Conte’s approach to the cups has evolved in the second half of the season. Michy Batshuayi played the full 90 minutes in Chelsea’s first two FA Cup ties against Brentford and Peterborough. Batshuayi was not the only fringe player to start in those games. Branislav Ivanovic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Nathaniel Chalobah were all in the XI.

Batshuayi scored a goal and an assist in each game. This should have clinched his spot in Chelsea’s FA Cup squad. However, he did not play against Wolves in the fifth round, and came on the final minute of stoppage time against Manchester United in the quarter-finals.

"It’s not like he’s throwing away this competition. It’s just at this time it’s important to keep the momentum going in the Premier League more than the FA Cup… I would say he’s prioritizing the league, but then why would he play Batshuayi and Ake in the semi-final and not against Wolverhampton Wanderers? – Daniel Mcclue"

Chelsea’s squad against Wolves seemed like overkill, with Wolves floating around the Championship’s relegation zone at the time. Conte was so determined to win the FA Cup that he was willing to tax his top players to remove any doubt of victory. The semi-final against Spurs, though, reversed the equation. Conte appeared so determined to win the league that he was willing to accept more risk to his cup ambitions.

Chelsea have the luxury of not only having players like Nathan Ake and Michy Batshuayi in reserve, but of thinking they introduce risk. Both players would be regular starters in most other clubs.

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Antonio Conte’s history as a player and manager shows that he is never at ease with defeat. He trusts his players – both his regular XI and those on the fringes – to bring that intensity onto the pitch. Ake and Batshuayi rewarded both his risk and his trust to advance Chelsea to the finals.