The bridge is rocking once again, and ironically, Leicester, premier league defending champions, are on the rocks. Chelsea produced a masterclass display full of craft, technique, and ruthless cutting edge as they secured back to back wins in the premier league. Pressure had started to mount on manager Antonio Conte, as the blues lay seventh in the premier league, after seven games, prior to kickoff. But after dispelling rumours over his future during the week, Conte's men produced a display that mirrored the prototype of the dream team the Italian tactician intends to mould. Lining up in his favoured 3-4-3 formation, with Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso playing as wing-backs, Chelsea hustled and harried their opponents. Led by the revitalized Diego Costa, they relentlessly pressed their opponents, coming back at them time and again, probing, knocking, until Leicester were powerless in letting them in on seven minutes. This win, owed much to Chelsea's superb performance, than Leicester's bad display.
Diego Costa--bagging his seventh league goal of the embryonic domestic campaign-- rifled his side in front. After that, there was always going to be one winner--no doubt the boys from London. On a bright afternoon at Stamford bridge, Chelsea shone like a million stars. Bossing possession, creativity on display, hardworking and excellent midfield runners, the blues' toyed with their opponents with an ease that practically roared poetry in motion. For all the plaudits--truly deserved --gained following their title winning exploits last season, Leicester were made to look like amateurs on the day, as Chelsea exhibited the stuff of professionals.
There are still thirty more games to go till May, when the title is decided, but if anything, the display on show illustrated the progress made by Antonio Conte, in moulding this Chelsea team into his image. The Italian, famed for his high pressing, compactness, intensity, creativity and cutting edge, at his previously managed teams, is steadily but effectively going about his rebuilding job at the bridge, without much fuss. On the day, further goals from the silky and fleet footed Eden Hazard--assisted by Pedro-- and Victor Moses--enjoying a new lease of life since Conte took over, consigned Leicester to their fourth defeat in just eight premier league games. Putting that into context, the foxes had fewer losses, across the whole of their 2015/2016 title winning campaign. It goes to show the rude awakening starring Claudio Ranieri's men in the face; defending the English premier league title is much harder than a Camel passing through the eye of a needle. Leicester have an enormous task on their hands, with the distant whisper of "relegation" gathering more momentum. It is still early days though, but the foxes would do well to arrest their current slump in form.
For Chelsea and Conte, it is three more points gained, as they moved to fifth on the log,pending other match-day results, with sixteen points, keeping pace with leaders Manchester City atop the English premier league table. This was not another routine stroll by the side of the humber, but it definitely was a highlight of the giant strides made by Chelsea,as a team, under Antonio Conte, thus far. Brighter days lie ahead, some will say.
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