3 things Conte learned from Chelsea’s latest key 1-0 win against Sunderland
Does Antonio Conte remember what it feels like to not win a game?
The Italian has surely forgotten, with the Blues leaving the Stadium of Light on Wednesday night with yet another victory, making it 10 on the bounce for the boys in blue.
It was not an easy game, unlike a few of the games in recent weeks, with a lone Cesc Fabregas goal sealing the points for Conte.
Sunderland were resolute in their defending, and it took an impressive move from the Blues to finally break through, and without a last minute wonder save from Thibaut Courtois – the result would have been very different.
As with any game, Antonio Conte would have likely ended the night with a check over his match notes – and there would undoubtedly have been a few things for him to take away – especially with the game against Crystal Palace quickly coming up.
With that said, here are 3 things Conte learned from Chelsea’s latest big 1-0 win against Sunderland…
Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas game back into the side against Sunderland, and he duly repaid the faith of Antonio Conte with a midfield masterclass.
The Spaniard controlled the game from the middle of the park, and even popped up with the winning goal in the 1st half.
He looked decent defensively, but he shone going forward – with the midfielder constantly firing balls forwards as he looked to get attacks started.
He simply has to keep playing, and Conte must know that.
System Changes – finding us out
Whilst most of the takeaways from the game were undoubtedly positive, the clash did also reiterate one pretty significant fact for Antonio Conte.
When Conte had just introduced the 3-4-3 system, the Blues were running away with games. A 5-0 win against Everton and a 4-0 win against Man Utd were just some of the results.
However, in recent weeks, games have started to become a bit more tight – and that is no coincidence. Chelsea are beginning to get found out, and Conte must notice this and change a few things going forward.
It was always going to happen, but Conte must not expect Chelsea to walk through games anymore. He needs to switch up the tactics and the personnel somewhat over the next few weeks as he looks to keep teams guessing.
Thibaut Courtois
How good is Thibaut Courtois?
The young Belgian keeper has been criticised over the last 6 months or so for a few poor performances – but there was no such criticism on Wednesday.
The Chelsea shot stopper was unbeatable on the night, and the last minute save could end up being absolutely crucial as the season progresses. It was a save worthy of a Premier League title win.
If he keeps his fine form up, he could be the difference between a win and a draw a few times this year.