Following Chelsea’s 3-1 comeback victory over Manchester City last Saturday, manager Antonio Conte showered Cesc Fabregas with praises. It was rather a surprise to witness the Spanish international seizing a spot in the first XI as he has predominantly been a spectator on the bench since Conte started to employ a 3-4-3 formation. With Nemanja Matic picking up an injury moments before the match, in came Fabregas and he did impress.
The first half performance from Fabregas was below par, alike his whole team yet in the following period he upped his game, doing exactly what he is known for, spraying beautifully weighted passes. His biggest contribution of the afternoon was teeing up Diego Costa with a precise long ball and the striker made no mistake to level his side in the 60th minute. Willian and Eden Hazard scored the remaining two. His contribution was a testament to his quality, no surprise a host of clubs are eagerly looking to secure his services in the upcoming transfer window, including his former club Arsenal. Also, at the age of 29, time is still on his side.
“I’m pleased for Cesc above all because this game wasn’t easy for him,” said the Chelsea boss in the post-match news conference.
“The last game he played for Chelsea in the line-up was against Arsenal, and then he had an injury. He recovered and I’m very happy for his performance.
“He must continue to improve. For me to have more options is good. It’s important to have the whole squad available.”
Besides that good part, Fabregas then blotted his copybook deep into the stoppage time. Resulting from Sergio Aguero’s wild tackle on David Luiz, a fracas was formed in a blink of an eye between the two sides. Amidst those war of words, pushing and shoveling, the former Barcelona man was grabbed by the throat by Fernandinho, who left the pitch alongside Aguero moments before the final whistle was blown. However, replays revealed that the Spaniard was the one to provoke the brawl as he placed a slap on the Manchester City midfielder.
Aforementioned, Conte did highlight that options are key, therefore if Matic remains sidelined and Fabregas facing an embargo, he would be scratching his head to fill the crucial void. While Fabregas might have spurned away the chance to continually earn praises from his boss. The Blues are firing on all cylinders, with 8 consecutive wins and remain at the summit of the league.
Next up is a home fixture against West Brom.