Chelsea win thanks to more Antonio Conte and less David Luiz

Chelsea beat title rivals Manchester United 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday to keep their chances of a title alive. Manchester City are still some way off, but now with only a single point deciding places 2-4 Chelsea have seriously brightened up the race.

Most of the Chelsea-related news before the match centered around David Luiz being dropped from the team. Following a week of drama and speculation, rumors of a bust-up between Conte and Luiz at the training ground following the Roma match picked up momentum. Apparently Conte was less than amused with the childish level of defending from his main central defender, and let him have the hairdryer treatment at Cobham.

This forced Andreas Christensen into the center of the defence, and he could not have looked more deserving. His dispelled all worries about his lack of physicality and experience when dealing with Romelu Lukaku. If this is the level Christensen is already playing at against one of the most accomplished and physical strikers in the league, it may be very hard for Luiz to return.

N’Golo Kante also returned to the match and, despite worries about his hamstring, was phenomenal.  It showed in this match just how much Chelsea have missed the tiny workhorse chewing up ground in the midfield. Antonio Conte got his tactics right, in that he played Kante behind Tiemoue Bakayoko, and had Cesc Fabregas instead of Bakayoko in the more forward positions.

The first half was not the world’s most interesting bit of play. Chelsea seemed more interested in breaking the deadlock than Manchester United. The visitors can blame an invisible appearance by Henrikh Mkhitaryn for a lot of their issues, along with Christensen’s marvelous showing on Lukaku. Up front, Eden Hazard seems to be growing into the freedom provided by the support-striker role in the 3-5-2, and patrolled all the open spaces along the United back-line.

Chelsea grew into match in the second half and eventually were rewarded when the incredibly prolific angular passing channel from Cesar Azpilicueta to Alvaro Morata resulted in a perfect poacher’s goal for the former Real Madrid man. Five times it has worked this season. Five times Chelsea have been rewarded.

Chelsea look like a team that is benefitting from their manager at the moment. If it is true that Antonio Conte screamed his team into submission in training this week, then it worked. Though the match was 1-0, Chelsea were motivated and full of character.

After the match Antonio Conte was questioned if David Luiz had a future at Chelsea. With showings like this when he is not even on the substitutes’ bench, one does truly have trouble thinking that he would.

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Well done, Chelsea, and well done, Antonio Conte for the bold moves to change to a 3-5-2 and start the team playing properly again.