Chelsea’s defence has regained its solidity in the last month. An unfamiliar formation has brought back the clean sheets the club had come to expect over the last decade.
After a mostly forgettable September, Chelsea are back on form at the end of a convincing October. Wins over Hull, Leicester and Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United have brought back the positive atmosphere which surrounded Antonio Conte’s first few weeks in charge.
The feel-good factor disappeared when the team seemed to fall apart at the first sign of trouble. A 2-2 draw in Swansea pushed Chelsea over the edge of negativity. Poor refereeing decisions contributed to a disappointing result given the quality of the opposition.
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The result at the Liberty Stadium would not attract much attention if subsequent results were any better. Liverpool visited Stamford Bridge barely a week later, and passed their way through a slow and stagnant Chelsea side.
After a brief interlude of the extra-time win in the EFL Cup, Chelsea took a trip to the Emirates. Antonio. Conte witnessed a first half slaughtering by arch-rivals Arsenal. After that debacle, he knew the status quo could not remain at his club.
A leaky and fragile defence had conceded seven goals in three Premier League outings. Something had to change. The Italian was keen to avoid making the same mistakes as his predecessor. He radically switched the formation, leaving Branislav Ivanovic as the most noteworthy casualty.
The move from a 4-2-3-1/ 4-3-3 to the modern 3-4-3 will be the tactical alteration that defines Conte’s time as Chelsea manager.
Cesar Azpilicueta transformed nearly overnight into a centre-back. David Luiz and Gary Cahill have looked solid and comfortable with an extra defender by their side. In the wing-back position, Victor Moses has rocketed his career. Marcos Alonso struggles somewhat defensively, but still holds a licence to get forward and whip in a dangerous cross from time to time.
The change has brought Chelsea from a team that was vulnerable to each attack it faced to a defence who has yet to concede in the new formation. In fact, not only have Cahill and Co. kept three consecutive clean sheets, they have also limited the opposition to just seven shots on target in those three matches. That equals the same total of goals Chelsea allowed during the dreadful month of September.
The three centre-backs must be pleased to see N’Golo Kante in front of them as well. The summer signing revels in this type of system. He cleans up in front of the back three while also showcasing his underrated passing ability when the wing-backs head forward.
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In the losses to Liverpool and Arsenal, the 25-year-old only managed five interceptions between both matches. He tallied the same amount in each of the Leicester and Manchester United victories. Against Hull, he made 4 interceptions.
In the forward line, Eden Hazard is back to his old ways since unveiling the 3-4-3 during the 2-0 win over Hull. The Belgian can push further forward as a result of the cover an extra defender brings to the full-backs. Hazard scored twice in the last three matches playing in a more open role off the left wing. His free role is bound to bring more of an enjoyment to his play. This should only increase his offensive production and the high spirits around the club.
Chelsea’s wins over Hull and Leicester met with fair but somewhat cautious reactions. The side needed a statement victory before the Blues’ faithful felt comfortable enough to believe that Conte’s side are legitimate title challengers this season.
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The Premier League is a long campaign. As Manchester City’s recent struggles have shown, a negative result can swing a few games worth of momentum in the wrong driection. For Chelsea, the winning feeling is back. Let’s hope it is here to stay.