Antonio Conte rotated his squad against Watford nearly as much as he has the rest of the season combined. Chelsea’s performance showed how important depth and rotation will be as the Blues re-enter the Champions League next season.
Chelsea adhered to their core starting XI more than any other Premier League squad. Only two spots in the lineup were ever really a question: Pedro or Willian, Cesc Fabregas or Nemanja Matic. Even so, Pedro ended the season with 700 more minutes than Willian. Matic had more than twice as many than Fabregas.
Each of Chelsea’s regular XI had over 2000 Premier League minutes. Behind those players, only two – Willian and Fabregas – had more than 1000 minutes. By contrast, at the other end of the scale, Manchester City had 16 players with over 1000 minutes but none over 3000. Six Chelsea outfield players had more minutes than City’s most-used player, Kevin de Bruyne.
Eight non-regulars took the pitch for Chelsea against Watford. The Blues won, but not convincingly, and definitely not cleanly. Antonio Conte’s minimal squad rotation helped Chelsea win the Premier League title. But the first game after clinching the league showed how vulnerable Chelsea is when lack of depth meets a lack of experience.
"Antonio Conte’s tactics can win trophies, but he needs a squad behind him in terms of numbers… This summer and in the pre-seasons he is going to need to bring younger players off the bench and looking for transfer targets that can be viable options to switch out from the regular XI. – Rayna Sidhu, The Blue Lions"
Antonio Conte will need several match day squads next season to defend his Premier League title and lead Chelsea through the Champions League. Cesar Azpilicueta played every minute of the Premier League season when it was his sole responsibility. He has become the Andrea Pirlo of this Conte side: the manager’s indispensable player. The most diligent man in Blue can handle the workload, but Conte needs flexibility and fall-back options to support the Spaniard.
Conte must promote or find players that can manifest his tactics while allowing him flexibility among his starting lineups. Younger players will have a greater role in both domestic cup tournaments, even into the later stages, unlike this season. As Chelsea progress through the knockout rounds of the Champions League, they cannot afford to have Azpilicueta, N’Golo Kante and the rest dealing with EFL Cup and FA Cup opposition.
Next: Terry, RLC, Fabregas: Three takeaways from Chelsea's win over Watford
Antonio Conte over-achieved in his first season with a small squad of players. Most of them were not of his choosing. He will use the summer transfer window not only to build a squad fully suited to his tactical plans, but that can meet his domestic and European ambitions as well.