How will N’Golo Kante fit into Chelsea’s 2016/2017 season?
By Alex Gisi
N’Golo Kante is one of the new kids around Stamford Bridge. How will the highly-rated Premier League winner fit into Antonio Conte’s plans?
N’Golo Kante was hailed as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League by fans and pundits alike after a breakout season at Leicester in which he won the first senior trophy of his career. His vital part in his team’s historic title win earned him a big-money move to Chelsea. Now, his job will be to prove that last season wasn’t a one-off.
must read: What does the 2016/17 season have in store for Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas?
Though unheard of by most until recently, Kante has earned rave reviews from past and present managers. French National Team manager Didier Deschamps said, “Everything looks simple and easy with him […] N’Golo Kante knows what he has to do and he does it well, very well, for the team.”
Claudio Ranieri, who was astounded by the midfielder’s stamina, remarked, “He was running so hard I thought he must have a pack full of batteries hidden in his shorts. He never stopped running in training.”
The Frenchman has joined a team that desperately needs him. Chelsea’s midfield trio of yesteryear was often accused of lacking mobility, which is exactly where he excels. Additionally, his positional sense brings an additional nuance to both Chelsea’s attack and defense.
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It was clear last season just how much Chelsea were desperate for a box-to-box midfielder, with Guus Hiddink even going as far to play Loftus-Cheek in the role for a few games. N’Golo Kante will provide the team with the dynamic play that Cesc Fabregas, Nemanja Matic, and John Obi Mikel lack.
Furthermore, he’s flexible. Antonio Conte has used both 4-2-4 and 4-3-3 formations in preseason. Kante can play a part in both systems, largely because he’s the only player of his type at Chelsea: quick, agile, and able to nip the ball off the opponent.
Kante’s attacking contribution is subtle but effective. By receiving the ball from a center-back and finding another midfield player further up the pitch, he often helps progress the ball through the middle in a way Chelsea failed to do with Matic and Mikel.
In terms of defense, Kante will help shield the fragile partnership of John Terry and Gary Cahill. His pace lets him challenge the ball-carrier and force him wide, which is the basis of Conte’s defensive plan. This will prevent the one-on-one situations with the center-backs that saw so many goals conceded last year.
But even though he tries, and does a pretty good job at it as well, Kante can’t be everywhere. He still needs a fellow midfielder who can drop in beside him, especially when he goes to win the ball. That’s why Matic will probably be deployed alongside him in a midfield three, or Oscar when in a double pivot.
How important Kante will be in the 2016-2017 season can’t be understated. He’s what Chelsea most sorely missed last season: a mobile, box-to-box runner. His presence in the team opens up a whole new range of options for Antonio Conte, and a whole new chance at success for Chelsea.