Eden Hazard has been on fire this season and he scored an individual goal that will be remembered for the ages.
Some moments in key games are remembered for generations, whether it is Zola against Norwich, Lampard against Barcelona or Ivanovic against Liverpool there are some that are never forgotten.
Enjoy this piece of magic!
This Eden Hazard goal. My goodness. pic.twitter.com/CRNnGcdqXT
— Jason Lind (@JasonKLind) February 4, 2017
Diego Costa is a selfish, disloyal and angry man and we should love it as it is what makes him so dangerous on the pitch.
It is this sense of entitlement and naivety that winds him up to go out and bully defenders, to take his opportunities and score goals.
These are things that will make Costa loved by fans but it comes with a downside. Every now and again he will either boil over or take bad advice and meltdown for a period of time.
This is exactly what has happened in the last two weeks.
Typically when this happens, things will be said, toys will be ejected from the pram, but let him calm down and then wind him back up again and send him into battle.
Football fans have short memories, Didier Drogba spent the first five or six years at the club following the same cycle. It was not until he turned towards the end of his career that he mellowed.
Costa and Drogba have a lot in common both are beasts, they score goals and win games but have a temper that comes with it. Drogba is a legend of the club as we were able to keep him on the straight and narrow most of the time.
At key moments he looked like he was out the door, but at the critical moment he stayed.
Now there is no guarantee that Costa will continue to walk this fine line successfully, you get the impression he is not as intelligent as Drogba and is more susceptible to manipulation by his agent and other influencers.
For the time being, we should love him for his selfish attitude as if we can wind him up and put him into battle he will win us matches.
This is an odd statement for a blog that praised Mikel for the opposite when he departed, but it is those characteristics that make him great.
Diego Costa is not going to play for Chelsea for the rest of his career and even if he does it won’t be without incident or a bit of self-aggrandising whining from time to time
Let’s see how he does today.
We are starting to see clubs put a camera in the tunnel for the duration of Premier League games and we love the footage. The Leicester v Chelsea 2017 tunnel cam actually had some insightful moments.
Normally we just see how most of the players in the Premier League seem to know each other and due to international and former club allegiances normally have a few friends on the opposition.
Here are three telling moments we found.
It was clear from seeing the two of them an hour before kick off that they have a deep respect for each other.
They met with a warm embrace and spent a few minutes chatting to each other and seemed genuinely happy to see each other and share each others companies.
This was no choreographed photo opportunity, we doubt that all managers share the level of respect they have after decades of doing battle on the sidelines.
Seeing your former manager may be awkward as you go down the line to shake hands with the opposition coaching staff. However Ranieri soon got rid of that, playfully putting his former player in a headlock. It was a great piece of humour and shows the respect that Ranieri must still have for the player and his talents.
At the end of every Premier League game, players from both sides are drug tested as standard practice. This game it was the turn of Marcus Alonso and after his performance it is no wonder why.
Don’t worry though this is routine, there is no suspicion that his performance was due to nothing but talent and hard work.
He turned the game with his outstanding performance and two goals. At a time when the league were looking for a wobble he helped the Blues answer their critics.
The club announced the Nathan Ake loan recall prior to the FA Cup match against Peterborough, giving the clubs more options on the flanks and in defensive midfield.
With rumours that the Blues needed more options defensively and departure of John Obi Mikel the Nathan Ake loan recall is a welcome move to provide more squad depth without breaking the bank.
Antonio Conte has lived up to his promise to promote from within rather than reinvest the funds that the sale of Oscar have generated.
Ake was due to spend the whole season on loan at Bournemouth, however he has shown himself to be ready to play at the highest level with some barnstorming performances for the Cherries.
Although seen by many as a centre back or defensive midfielder during his development, he was utilised as a left back. This gives Chelsea experienced cover at left back for Marcus Alonso. With Moses and Ivanovic for the
This gives Chelsea experienced cover at left back for Marcus Alonso. With Moses and Ivanovic for the right this gives a proper balance to the defensive cover with Cesar Azpilicueta playing in a back three.
Hopefully his recall is a signal that Conte will intend to give him meaningful game time, allowing Alonso to be rested from time to time.
Ake will return to the first team squad having already made 12 appearances for the Blues since signing in 2011.
His excellent form and Premier League experience will make him feel like a new signing to Chelsea fans. Having only made cameos between 2012 and 2015 with most of that time being spent on loan at Reading, Watford and Bournemouth.
We look forward to welcoming Ake back and hope that he will be a huge success as a permanent member of the Chelsea first team.
Losing to Spurs is a rare occurrence and do to so last night was painful as we saw the Chelsea record run come to an end.
We played well against Spurs and the game was evenly matched however the North London club took their chances and we didn’t.
There were no controversial moments, no dodgy decisions the game was decided by football and Spurs came out on top.
A quick moment to appreciate the difference last night which was Dele Alli, he is having a great run and unfortunately he continued that with a solid performance and two outstanding headers.
He is a talent that is going to burn brightly in the Premier League and whilst annoying that he plays for Spurs, it is good to see young English talent making a mark.
The Spurs fans I know have been giving us a hard time this morning and crowing over their victory. They deserve to do so, let’s just hope that London is Blue when we get to the business end of the season.
Spurs away, c'mon Chelsea!! 👊 #CFCaway pic.twitter.com/RcD4mgsvJQ
— James Armit (@James_Armit) January 4, 2017
Last night was sobering but when reality bites we can reflect on an incredible run that included victory over Spurs in November.
The record-equalling run was ended but Chelsea are still 5 points clear at the Premier League. Antonio Conte has built a platform for Chelsea to exceed expectations and build a team over the next 18 months.
We already have strong foundations and more time under the new manager is bound to see further improvement.
Momentum is important in football, but our next Premier League game is 10 days away as the FA Cup takes over.
Rotate the squad and beat Peterborough and the winning mindset can easily be maintained. Challenges are never far away in the Premier League but we have proven we have the skills to overcome them.
So if any Spurs fans are reading this, please enjoy the moment you beat us fair and square. Remember though that only what happens in May counts and hopefully, the table will look the same as it does now.
We are now in January which means that we are now in transfer silly season with the tabloids and online transfer rumour sites going into overdrive.
The latest example of this was Chelsea being linked to Arturo Vidal simply because he liked an Instagram post featuring his former manager. The fact that his former manager is Antonio Conte does not mean that he is destined to become a Blue.
Admittedly one outrageous Chelsea transfer has been confirmed as Oscar heads to China for all the money (and maybe some of the tea). This windfall for a player who was not even getting into the Chelsea team has raised the prospect of a transfer war-chest this January.
Conte and the Chelsea board should leave things until the Summer and not look to buy or sell anyone in the core of the first team.
Chelsea have used the fewest number of players in the Premier League so far this season highlighting how balanced our starting line up is now that we have moved to a 4-3-3 formation.
Bringing in new players could upset the harmony in the dressing room and the balance of the side. Whilst Michy Batshuayi could go out on loan, I would want an existing member of the Chelsea squad to be recalled from loan to replace him.
We are currently top of the table having equalled the record for most consecutive victories in Premier League history. It would be foolish to risk this by buying or selling any of the players that have put the Blues in that position.
Nobody likes selling players in January so they are rarely priced at their true value. Chelsea have been burnt by this in the past, most notably when buying Fernando Torres. it makes no sense to
Instead we should try and sit January out and let others make transfer mistakes as they look to play catch up.
There is a happier vibe at Stamford Bridge in 2017 than there was at the start of 2016.
Whilst Antonio Conte gets on with making magic happen on the pitch, here are some things we would like to see at Stamford Bridge from a fan perspective.
The beer of choice at Stamford Bridge in 2017 is Singha.
Beer and football go hand in hand but unfortunately Singha does not qualify as a football beer. It might be great for a curry but on match day it is far too fizzy and sweet to drink in only 5 or so minutes you get to drink it.
Singha paid a princely fee to be sponsors but with the deal set to expire this year, it would be great if we could find a better partner.
The Matthew Harding stand at Stamford Bridge is a great place to watch football, but with kick-off approaching it takes far too long to get in the ground. Sure you can get there earlier but queuing is far from fun.
It would be great to make getting into the Matthew Harding faster so fans get more drinking time and there is less stress before the game.
Paying for food and drink using pre-loaded cards is a pain when you only visit the stadium once (Amsterdam and Munich come to mind). However, with huge queues before kick-off and at half-time a system of payment that is faster than cash should be welcomed.
Contactless is a good start but being able to pay using our membership or season tickets could be a great way of speeding things up and reducing the hassle at half-time.
Chelsea make a token effort at tackling touts and fake websites. Yet they are as popular and successful now as they have ever been.
Touts are everywhere on match days. We overheard a ticket being sold for £370 for the Spurs match outside Fulham Broadway shopping centre.
We need to find more ways to deter touts online and around the ground to keep tickets at face value for as many fans as possible.
Chelsea fans have had to share the iconic Shed End with away fans for over a decade now, it would be great to find a way to change this. Whilst having the away fans close can stoke the atmosphere it’s annoying during cup games when the entire stand is surrendered.
If not for next season, the ground redevelopment should bare this in mind when submitting and finalising plans.
The Chelsea failure to qualify Champions League football would be a good thing, but so far there have been plenty of positives to not playing in the elite European competition.
Being out of the Champions League is like a bonus code for videoslots.com been a blessing in disguise and we look like the champions we were in the 2014/2015 season once again.
Liverpool showed the value of playing fewer games than your rivals in 2013/2014 when the Scousers were only a Steven Gerrard slip and Demba Ba finish away from winning their first Premier League title.
It is too early to dream of the title too much, but it certainly looks like we are going to be in the hunt.
Playing just once a week has given the players longer to rest and left our team sharp, this is having a huge impact on the results on the pitch. We are not having to get key players like Costa and Hazard through two games per week meaning they are fresh and producing results on the pitch.
We are not having to get key players like Costa and Hazard through two games per week meaning they are fresh and producing results on the pitch.
From a personal perspective, it has made this season more affordable, less games means less cost. Although I would gladly pay to see the Blues than sit at home whilst our rivals play for the trophy with the big ears.
Watching the other teams in the Champions League has been painful, even if we have enjoyed watching Spurs crash and burn. It has been great to see Leicester prove doubters wrong (again) and progress to the next round. Manchester City and Arsenal have taken care of business.
These two minor bright points do not mask the fact that it is painful to see other British teams in the Champions League without Chelsea. It may be a false sense of entitlement but it is where I think/hope we belong.
The novelty of having a full week to play has been tolerable for one season, but the thought of being cast aside for more is unbearable. It is unlikely that key players like Diego Costa and Eden Hazard will even entertain the prospect
Thankfully the early indications are that Antonio Conte has us in a great position to finish comfortably within the top four.
Life is pretty good as a Chelsea fan at the moment as the Conte effect takes hold. Our traditional rivals have been stumbling and we top the table, something that seemed like a distant pipedream only a couple of months ago.
Since Antonio Conte switched to 3-4-3, Chelsea have seen vast improvements on the pitch, according to research carried out by SmartBets, the customisable odds comparison site powered by bettingexpert.com
This data may go back to the 18th of November but the victories over Tottenham and Manchester City have been anchored in the change in system by Antonio Conte and the passion of the team to carry it through.
The games against Spurs and Man City also saw the Blues show the character and desire to win that they have. Chelsea went a goal down in each of these games but powered back to take the game away from their rivals.
These stats show what we have seen on the pitch in stat form, we are stronger going forward and tighter defensively. Combine the two and you get a team that is hard to beat
Chelsea are down to an average of 52.6% in the possession statistics, but this shows that Conte’s side are doing more with the ball when they have it. Pass succession is up to 83.2% from 81% and their unpredictability is proving hard to handle.
The inclusion on wing-backs Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso allows Eden Hazard more freedom and Chelsea have completed an average of 15.1 dribbles per game using the new formation, which is the second highest in the Premier League.
An average of 66.2 direct balls per game is already higher than the 62.5 accumulated during the start of the season and the Blues are topping the table in most goals from open play.
Conte has brought defensive solidity to Stamford Bridge with his side conceding just 8.4 shots per game, compared to last season’s 12.7. They’re also averaging 21.8 tackles and 17.2 important interceptions since reverting to 3-4-3 – which is considerably higher than last season and the first six matches.
Long live the Conte effect
November has been a tricky month for Chelsea managers in recent years, however three wins saw Antonio Conte Overcome the Chelsea November curse and top the table.
The month of November has caused problems for Carlo Ancelotti, Felipe Scolari and Roberto Di Matteo in the past.
With the international break sandwiched in the middle of the month, Conte was fortunate to have two out of the three games the Blues played at home. However, Everton and Tottenham are tough opponents.
We now going into December with a busy Christmas and a tough trip to the Etihad, but now we have a firm base to build on to consolidate a top four finish and possibly push for better.
Getting two victories from these games is a notable achievement, in the away game of the month Chelsea were expected to beat Middlesbrough.Something they did with a controlled performance that kept the run going and added some steel to the praise that has been heaped on the Blues.
The run continues, we have now one seven games on the trot in the Premier League. The victories against Tottenham and Manchester United were magnificent in different ways. By beating our former manager comprehensively a monkey was removed from our back.
The defeat against Tottenham showed grit and determination and helped us get one over on our London rivals, nothing is sweeter than walking out of Stamford Bridge with that feeling.
Seven games won on the trot and topping the league in November are good signs for our season. However nothing is won this early in the season and the competition at the top is the toughest it has been for years.
We have a team full of confidence and our star players are performing. If we have a good December the belief will grow and anything can happen. Now though it is just nice to get past a normally tricky month on a high.
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