Five reasons why Chelsea can win the Premier League under Antonio Conte
From the ecstasy of winning the title under Jose Mourinho in 2015 to the debacle that followed it last season, it’s fair to say that Chelsea have been finding ups and downs easy to come by over the past few seasons.
After the steady hand of Guus Hiddink settled the club down in the short term, things looks set to get dramatic once again with the arrival of Antonio Conte as manager.
The Premier League season is only two games old, but it’s already abundantly clear that the Italian tactician will be as entertaining on the sidelines as the play will be on the pitch.
It might be his first season in England, and he might be learning in every department about life in this country, but there’s reason to be optimistic at Stamford Bridge right now.
Perhaps expectations need to be tempered, and Chelsea fans will probably be happy with a top four spot and a good showing in the domestic cup competitions, but given Leicester’s fairytale last season, there really is no reason why Chelsea can’t push on for the title this year. In fact – here’s five reasons why they can!
No European football
You have to go all the way back to 1996/97 to find a year when Chelsea didn’t play in European competition. Mark Hughes was the Blues’ top scorer, Ruud Gullit was player-manager and Chelsea won the FA Cup.
This time around, Chelsea once again have a new manager, a much stronger squad than they had back then, and with no European football as a distraction Chelsea could be a big threat to the Manchester clubs at the top.
We’ve seen what Leicester could do last season with no Champions League to distract them, whilst Liverpool had a similar advantage in 2013/14 when they finished second and really should have won the league.
With Manchester City potentially prioritising Europe under Pep Guardiola, and with Manchester United having to play the notoriously difficult Thursday-Sunday rotation, Chelsea could be in prime position to take advantage.
Antonio Conte
We’ve already seen what an intense figure Antonio Conte projects as he waves his arms around on the touchline. His fervour and passion is one of his great strengths, and that can only be transmitted to the players.
If we see passionate performances from players like Eden Hazard – who showed none that last season – then Chelsea could be a force to be reckoned with. They won the league two seasons ago, so they can’t be bad players!
Conte is also a very thoughtful, tactical coach – as we’ve seen with Italy and Juventus. That mixture of passion, intelligence and dedication are what makes Conte special, and it’s what can steer Chelsea to the title, too.
N’Golo Kante
What Chelsea have lacked over the course of the last few seasons is a player who adds energy to the midfield.
At his best over the last few seasons, Willian has been the player to add that level of energy and movement to Chelsea’s team, but in that wide attacking midfield position, it helps the team in an attacking sense than in a defensive one.
Now, with Kante in the side, Chelsea finally have a player who can do his thing winning the ball and putting Conte’s energy and enthusiasm into practise, and winning the ball back so that the other midfielders can break quickly.
Uncertainty around the league
This season is perhaps the most uncertain season since the Premier League began.
At the start, there was Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United dominance, and since then more clubs have become contenders for the title. But never before have so many clubs been in such a healthy position.
The TV rights deal has made everyone rich, but the top clubs either have new and exciting managers or have the possibility of building on a good season last year. But not everyone can succeed this season, and with new managers potentially needing time to bed in – Conte included – it could come right down to the wire. The freshness from a year without Europe could make all the difference come May.
Strength in depth
As I mentioned earlier, a team that won the league the season before last can’t simply become terrible overnight. There are some great players in Chelsea’s squad, even if they didn’t show it last season, and with positive signings in key areas, Chelsea look very strong indeed.
Conte still needs a defender. A successor to John Terry needs to be found and bedded in this season, and who can fill in for the injured Kurt Zouma. It might be worth bringing in a left back rather than a centre back, however: Branislav Ivanovic could become the fourth centre back in that case.
Whatever happens, one thing is clear – if Conte gets another defender before the end of the window, Chelsea can challenge right at the top.