Three wins in a row then for Chelsea after the opening day nonsense against Burnley, but just like in the first half of that game, Chelsea showed similarly dangerous sings of losing composure in the second half of Saturday’s win over Leicester.
“I think the mentality today was very strong, very positive, very good, until the penalty. I think we were in total control of the game, scored the first goal, the second goal. We conceded to a counter-attack when we lost the ball for the penalty, and after they tried to put some pressure on, but we created many chances to improve the scoreline.”
But Chelsea did not take advantage of those opportunities and a one-goal lead is the most dangerous lead, especially with Chelsea looking increasingly ragged and disjointed as the match wore on even as we reverted to the more familiar 3-4-3 look from the initial 3-5-2.
So plenty of improvement in that regard, not to mention in terms of individual performances, especially from those who are still new to the squad. Conte didn’t hesitate to praise Morata (“a good day”), Bakayoko (“very strong without the ball”), Kanté (“amazing game”), and Hazard (“good news”, “pleased for him”), but also wasn’t remiss to remind them and everyone else of the hard work ahead and the constant improvement that is a core tenet of the Conte philosophy.
“I think for us it is very important to follow a way. This way is to work. Despite our bad start against Burnley, a bit of difficulty, I think to win three in a row is important for the players. We are doing very well. I have great players, my players are reliable and I trust them...”
“We must be satisfied but I repeat, now we are trying to involve new players with the older players and this is a process. We need time. In football there is not a lot of time but we are working very hard.”
-Antonio Conte; source: Chelsea FC
We’re in the busy portion of the schedule now, and there’s another game coming up on Tuesday. Not only do we have to work hard, but we have to work smart and in an efficient manner to navigate all these games with success.
So far so good.