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Antonio Conte has played down the significance of being contenders to finish at the summit next May like a cool, calculated poker player who knows he has a very strong hand, but it hard not to believe that Chelsea have a realistic opportunity of challenging for the title.

Four straight wins, combined with four clean sheets, is certainly the form of potential champions. Anyone who tells you otherwise are either cautious of getting their hopes up after just ten games, or support one of the other teams currently at the top.

Betway continue to shorten our odds on finishing as champions in the latest Premier League betting market, and going by our latest performance, it is easy to see why. I was thoroughly impressed by the comprehensive and convincing manner of our 2-0 victory at Southampton, given how difficult it is to go to St. Mary’s and get a result.

Two superb goals and an excellent performance to boot, Conte seems to have found the perfect formula to get us bang on form at both ends of the pitch.

I think it is easy to see just how big an impact Conte has made since arriving at the Bridge. He walked through the doors amid an air of optimism following a strong Euro 2016 campaign in charge of Italy, but instead of rushing in like a bull in a china shop and making wholesale changes, he stuck with the same system that his predecessors used and gave the players an opportunity to impress.

If we are being honest, we should not have felt surprised at what happened; the team looked flat, unorganised and lacking confidence as Chelsea were a carbon copy of the side that endured a never-ending nightmare last season.

It was enough for Conte to enforce the style of play that proved so successful during three years in charge at Juventus, as not only has a switch to a back three made a big difference to how defensively resolute the team are, but a greater emphasis on building from the back and moving the ball quickly allowing us to enjoy some superb football.

We can all agree that Eden Hazard’s return to his brilliant best is more than welcome after a year where he was completely unrecognisable from the player who was simply irresistible throughout the 2014/2015 campaign.

The Belgian wizard has really been on top of his game alongside Diego Costa who, despite the continuous rubbish about his over-aggressive persona, is scoring goals for fun at the moment and may long it continue. You would also be hard pressed to find anyone who has seen Victor Moses play as well as he has been as a Chelsea shirt, with the Nigerian winger reborn as a right-sided wing-back who offers excellent protection at the back and a real threat going forwards.

I could name more who have really stood out, but the greatest quality of Conte’s Chelsea team is their collective spirit and unity; you could see just how much the win at Southampton meant to the players who worked hard for one another, with the only criticism being that they did not win by a greater margin.

It is no surprise that Chelsea’s odds of winning under Antonio Conte on Betway’s website, both in terms of every game that comes along and the Premier League title, are extremely strong right now. Every aspect of our game is on point at the moment, with Conte working wonders to build a structure back three that includes a player in David Luiz that many felt was not disciplined enough to focus on doing the dirty work in defence. Combine that with our ability to break down opposition forays into our half through N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic, along with fast-paced attacks and clinical finish at the other end, and what you have is a team capable of mounting a serious title challenge.

Antonio Conte has played down the significance of being contenders to finish at the summit next May like a cool, calculated poker player who knows he has a very strong hand, but it hard not to believe that Chelsea have a realistic opportunity of challenging for the title.

Four straight wins, combined with four clean sheets, is certainly the form of potential champions. Anyone who tells you otherwise are either cautious of getting their hopes up after just ten games, or support one of the other teams currently at the top. Betway continue to shorten our odds on finishing as champions in the latest Premier League betting market, and going by our latest performance, it is easy to see why.

I was thoroughly impressed by the comprehensive and convincing manner of our 2-0 victory at Southampton, given how difficult it is to go to St. Mary’s and get a result. Two superb goals and an excellent performance to boot, Conte seems to have found the perfect formula to get us bang on form at both ends of the pitch.

I think it is easy to see just how big an impact Conte has made since arriving at the Bridge. He walked through the doors amid an air of optimism following a strong Euro 2016 campaign in charge of Italy, but instead of rushing in like a bull in a china shop and making wholesale changes, he stuck with the same system that his predecessors used and gave the players an opportunity to impress. If we are being honest, we

If we are being honest, we should not have felt surprised at what happened; the team looked flat, unorganised and lacking confidence as Chelsea were a carbon copy of the side that endured a never-ending nightmare last season.

It was enough for Conte to enforce the style of play that proved so successful during three years in charge at Juventus, as not only has a switch to a back three made a big difference to how defensively resolute the team are, but a greater emphasis on building from the back and moving the ball quickly allowing us to enjoy some superb football.

We can all agree that Eden Hazard’s return to his brilliant best is more than welcome after a year where he was completely unrecognisable from the player who was simply irresistible throughout the 2014/2015 campaign.

The Belgian wizard has really been on top of his game alongside Diego Costa who, despite the continuous rubbish about his over-aggressive persona, is scoring goals for fun at the moment and may long it continue. You would also be hard pressed to find anyone who has seen Victor Moses play as well as he has been as a Chelsea shirt, with the Nigerian winger reborn as a right-sided wing-back who offers excellent protection at the back and a real threat going forwards. I could name more who have really stood out, but the greatest quality of Conte’s Chelsea team is their collective spirit and unity; you could see just how much the win at Southampton meant to the players who worked hard for one another, with the only criticism being that they did not win by a greater margin.

 

 

It is no surprise that Chelsea’s odds of winning under Antonio Conte on Betway’s website, both in terms of every game that comes along and the Premier League title, are extremely strong right now. Every aspect of our game is on point at the moment, with Conte working wonders to build a structure back three that includes a player in David Luiz that many felt was not disciplined enough to focus on doing the dirty work in defence. Combine that with our ability to break down opposition forays into our half through N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic, along with fast-paced attacks and clinical finish at the other end, and what you have is a team capable of mounting a serious title challenge.

I do not want to get carried away and believe, with some certainty, that we will finish as champions come the end of May, but the next few fixtures could prove decisive. Facing Everton at the Bridge before yet another international break (yawn) will be a strong test of our credentials, with following games against Middlesbrough (A), Tottenham (H) and Manchester City (A) also not standing out as what some would define as “easy.” We are currently a point behind the league leaders at present, and if Chelsea remain in a similar, or better, position at the start of December, then the “T” word could grow in volume.

 

 

It took six years for Chelsea Football Club to get over the impact of Jose Mourinho’s first trophy-laden time at Stamford Bridge. Beating Mourinho on Sunday may help make the mourning period much shorter second time around.

Mourinho The First Time He Left

His presence and the impact he had on the psyche of the team, made the job of meeting expectations and winning over the players impossible for some of the biggest names in football.

Mourinho had the same impact on fans, who pined for his return. As he moved from Milan to Madrid and managers came and went at Stamford Bridge. We felt our true leader was missing, a bar that no one even a double winner could live up to.

Moving On From Mourinho

Whilst Ancelotti was strong enough others such as Felipe Scolari and Andre Villas-Boas were never able to illuminate a team cast in his shadow. AVB tried to move the team forward and phase out the Mourinho diehards but lost the battle of player power.

It was not until age moved the spine of the Mourinho team on that managers were able to move on from what he built. It was not until the Champions League victory in 2012 that you could truly say that the spectre of Mourinho had left the corridors of power at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho returned to Chelsea and after winning the title in his second season things turned sour quickly in his third and he was gone by December.

Although Mourinho had not built the dynasty that he had in his first spell, there was a lingering fear that he would continue to cast a shadow over the team. This was not helped when he moved to Manchester United in the summer, a constant reminder to players and fans of what used to be.

Beating Mourinho Impact

Much was made of his return on Sunday and what the reaction would be, from the fans he got a pleasant one, but it was clear that the spell had been broken. Always a club legend the hero worship of his first spell had diminished.

The result put a clear line between him and new manager Antonio Conte. As Mourinho wheeled out his usual mix of deflection and distraction Conte remained focussed on moving Chelsea forward.

This is why beating Mourinho and Manchester United was more than just three points.

It was the moment that Chelsea were able to move on from his second spell in charge of the club. It was the moment focus shifted.

Mourinho will never be forgotten but the fans have moved onto focus on Chelsea and not his escapades at Old Trafford.