Since that 3-0 away loss to Arsenal highlighted the need for a tactical reshuffle, Chelsea have won all eleven of their games.
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Both he and midfielder N’Golo Kante will miss Boxing Day’s game with Bournemouth, as the Blues hunt a club-record 12th league win in a row.
He said: ” I must be honest, I hoped for Diego to arrive at the game against Stoke without the yellow card. We can take lessons from Chelsea’s performance defensively.
The main focus will be on making the top four come season’s end, but none of these teams should be completely written off from the title challenge just yet. Alonso stepped up and curled a free-kick against the underside of the crossbar.
“We understood the way to go and have a different season, compared to last season”. Fourth in the table in early February, Arsenal tore to the front with a run of 11 wins on the spin before securing the title with a 1-0 success at the home of title rivals Manchester United.
Antonio Conte has not just re-shaped Jose Mourinho’s exhausted Chelsea side into a team of stone cold winners, he’s also working hard to mend fences behind the scenes at the club.
No defender has scored more Premier League goals since the start of last season than Patrick van Aanholt (7). “It’s fantastic for a 35-year-old guy”.
“We are in the race for the Premier League and in the semi-final of the League Cup which is good. Who knows, we may even learn something!”
Vardy saw red in the 28th minute for a tackle on Mame Diouf.
Bojan converted a penalty in the 39th to give the home side the lead before Joe Allen doubled the tally just before halftime.
But Leonardo Ulloa halved the deficit, smuggling a header over the line from fellow substitute Demarai Gray’s cross, before Christian Fuchs teed up Daniel Amartey to head in an 88th-minute leveller.
“I think, starting this season, the manager must be a tailor and try and find the right fit for the team”, Conte added. If you listen to Mark Hughes, he says “yes”.
“It could be a turning point today, but we have to wait and see the next matches”.
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His goal away to Crystal Palace on Saturday was his second winning goal in a 1-0 victory in as many weeks, coming after his vital contribution against West Brom. All of those three games were won by a slender one-goal margin, suggesting that Chelsea have the self-belief and determination to break down defensively-minded teams that seek to frustrate their opposition.
