Chelsea: Antonio Conte’s substitutions against Arsenal were baffling

With Chelsea playing at home against a vulnerable Arsenal side, Antonio Conte made some baffling changes as the Blues looked for a win.

Chelsea continued their disappointing string of performances on Wednesday night with a listless showing against Arsenal. Effort was plentiful, but it failed to translate into clear-cut opportunities. These are the games in which substitutions can change the complexion of the contest, but Antonio Conte’s decisions were baffling.

Conte initially waited until the 68th minute to make his first change. Willian for Danny Drinkwater was a justifiable swap, but it came about ten minutes too late. Despite the extra stability Drinkwater brings, he couldn’t help Chelsea score goals in a contest they more or less dominated.

Then, the manager made his next move with just over five minutes left on the clock. Eden Hazard was replaced by Tiemoue Bakayoko. Bringing Hazard off in that situation only makes sense if he was carrying a knock. The excuse of resting him ahead of the weekend does not hold up when he is missing just 6 or 7 minutes of the game. Tactical reasons? What could those possibly be?

The most baffling part, though, was that Bakayoko was his replacement. Conte had sacrificed the most creative player on the pitch for a work-horse midfielder who offers little in front of goal. Michy Batshuayi, meanwhile, was available on the bench if Conte wanted to go with two strikers. Pedro was also there if the boss preferred a more like-for-like switch. He used neither.

The Belgian striker was eventually brought on, though, with just three minutes remaining. In a game like this, it’s hard enough to make an impact. However, it’s nigh on possible to do anything with little time left on the clock. Batshuayi’s confidence must be in tatters following his treatment this season. Giving him three minutes to score a goal is not a productive move.

Conte has previously shown himself to be reluctant to act quickly. The Italian appears to have supreme faith in his starting tactics and often leaves his first change until late in the game. It’s bearable when the Blues are already winning. It’s forgotten about when they snatch it late. However, it does hurt Chelsea when, as expected, the introduced player can’t do much in 15-20 minutes.

As Champions League football returns and the season reaches its business end, Chelsea and Conte need to be more creative to win games. A step in the right direction is to be decisive and make substitutions earlier in contests that appear to be going nowhere.

Next: Chelsea playing with no semblance of tactical or personal cohesion

What did you think of Conte’s substitutions? Is it becoming a theme? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!