Antonio Conte is well known for his success playing with a 3-4-3 formation. Now he starting to bring success at Chelsea with the same setup, the 1-0 win away at Middlesbrough being Chelsea’s sixth win in a row and sending them top of the table.
After a stuttering start, the Blues are starting to look like the real deal, and here is three reasons why they can beat the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs to the Premier League title this season.
1) They defend extremely well
Antonio Conte has not always set his Chelsea team up in a 3-4-3 formation this season. He had been playing with four at the back, but following defeats at home to Liverpool and away at Arsenal, Conte decided to change the system.
It has been a success ever since the change. One of the areas in which we have seen particular improvement is in the defensive department. Gary Cahill and David Luiz have been key to the impressive defensive record that Chelsea have maintained since their system switch. The Blues have not conceded a single goal since their 3-0 defeat at Arsenal, conceding just nine all season.
That record means they have conceded just one more goal than Tottenham, who have the best defensive record in the Premier League. All title winning sides are built on good defences. We saw that with Leicester City last season who conceded just 36 goals over 38 matches, and we have seen it with previous title winning sides.