Chelsea have enjoyed a resurgent season under Antonio Conte as they currently sit top of the pile in the Premier League by 6 points over Jurgen Klopp’s improving Liverpool side. After a mixed start to the season for the Blues things changed after Conte switched to the 3 at the back system but perhaps key to Chelsea’s position at the top of the League has been down to 2 players.
The first player is perhaps more obvious in striker Diego Costa who as we reported yesterday in our Bournemouth match preview is the Premier League top scoring striker and has scored 13 League goals while having had a hand in 18 of Chelsea’s 35 Premier League goals this season plus he has also added an impressive 5 assists. His massive improvement has also been in his disciplinary record as the new Chelsea boss has got Costa playing a much more professional game as the formerly impetuous striker is no longer getting involved in off-the-ball incidents or nasty fouls and for the most part is steering clear of arguments with and dissent towards the referee. The change in Costa has been most impressive and coupled with his offensive output makes him one of the main reasons Chelsea are where they are.
The other player is not quite as obvious as he does not have the eye-catching goals output but his influence on Chelsea’s position has been no less. N’Golo Kante made the move from Champions Leicester City in the summer for a significant transfer fee of £30 million and he has made that money look very well spent. Claudio Ranieri said when he sold Kante that has was irreplaceable and many have said the Frenchman does the work of two players and his performances for the Blues have justified those compliments. Chelsea had one of the Premier League’s original midfield generals in their glory years in the 2000’s when they had fellow Frenchman Claude Makalele patrolling their midfield and Kante has shown that he is every bit as much of a commanding presence for Chelsea as he can proudly lay claim to being their best midfield general since Makalele which is quite the accolade. Kante arrived in the Premier League in the summer of 2015 joining Leicester for a modest £5.6 million from Caen in Ligue 1 and he has proved to be quite the bargain.
Whichever you way you go why not have your say and vote in our latest poll on the site so we can see who true Chelsea fans think has been Chelsea’s player of the season so far and leave your comments below. Sadly neither player will play a role for Chelsea on Boxing Day vs Bournemouth as both are suspended. What can you do but you can rest assured both will be back in the first XI as soon as they are available.