Amidst talk of the two Manchester powerhouses making a perfect start to their respective campaigns thus far, Chelsea have emerged as joint league leaders heading into the fourth game week.
Antonio Conte has orchestrated performances exemplified by resilience and panache, their first two wins against West Ham United and Watford highlighting the former and their 3-0 romp over newly-promoted Burnley the latter. They travel to Swansea this week in search of a fourth consecutive win and given how poorly the Welsh side have begun their domestic marathon, many would label Chelsea as favourites for a fixture they lost last season. Eden Hazard and new signing N’Golo Kante have looked the business for the West Londoners in their outings and will hope to spearhead Chelsea to a Champions League spot this year, at the very least.
All that said, Chelsea have been billed as one of the favourites for the ultimate prize this season; the Premier League title. Their promising start coupled with no European excursions this campaign may yet allow them to pose a serious threat to the Manchester giants, both of which have invested heavily in reshaping their squads this summer. Having loaned out 38 players in order to declutter the existing group, Chelsea have added five players to their roster this season, two of which are defensive reinforcements. Marcos Alonso and David Luiz have provided Antonio Conte a range of options to choose from in the rearguard and shall help the Italian integrate his philosophy with fewer hiccups. The former Juventus and Italy manager has made no secret of his desire to deploy a back three with wing-backs on either side dropping deep to create a five-man wall when required. With Kurt Zouma returning to full fitness following his horrific injury back in February against Manchester United, Conte’s squad is expected to look a lot more menacing in the weeks to come.
The arrival of N’Golo Kante has created a selection headache for the manager, something many Chelsea fans wouldn’t be too bothered about. The presence of Cesc Fabregas, Nemanja Matic and John Obi Mikel ensures there is tough competition for places in central midfield and with the former Leicester City starlet making an instant impact, a side boasting of three highly experienced midfielders vying for one position makes that area of the pitch a scary proposition for opponents to counter.
Eden Hazard’s sudden renaissance has rendered him a new signing altogether, considering he was way off the pace last season. With Oscar, Willian, Pedro and Victor Moses at Conte’s disposal, Chelsea have a plethora of attack-minded midfielders, each of which is capable of causing serious damage to opposition defences. Their victory against Burnley saw three of those five players on the scoresheet and that has instilled a sense of optimism surrounding the strike-suppliers.
Chelsea’s most expensive acquisition this summer, Michy Batshuayi has made a strong start to his career in England with three goals in four appearances, two of which were against Bristol Rovers in the EFL Cup. With Diego Costa complementing him with his ability to unsettle a backline, the two may strike a formidable partnership this season and prove a thorn in their counterparts’ shoes. Costa has bagged two goals himself, both of them ending up as winners for Chelsea against West Ham United and Watford. For all the talk of the former Atlético Madrid hitman returning to his old stomping ground throughout the summer, he looks sharp as ever this year and will hope to make the headlines for the right reasons more often than not under new management.
The least glamorous signing for the Blues this summer was Portuguese goalkeeper Eduardo. Having made the switch from Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, the 33-year-old provides valuable experience to the goalkeeping department. With Thibaut Courtois and Asmir Begovic already occupying the top preferential spots though, it is difficult to see how Eduardo will make a significant number of appearances, should the existing shotstoppers stay fit for the majority of the season.
With each and every department well and truly covered, Chelsea are all set to compete for major honours this year. Conte may have a massive job on his hands but should things go according to plan, he may yet expedite a season to remember for the Stamford Bridge faithful.