CHELSEA: COMEBACK FOR CONTE’S CURRENT CHAMPIONS?
After an embarrassing defeat in their opening game of the 17/18 Premier league season, doubts were heightened and understandably so (in the manner with which they lost) about a successful title defence from Chelsea. Fans and foes alike were still reeling from their loss to Arsene’s army in the Community Shield-Abba Penalty Drama that saw Thibaut Courtois and new signing Alvaro Morata send their spot-kicks to space and the ball boy respectively. Pedro got sent off earlier in the match against Arsenal then Cahill thought to follow suit in a horrendous first-half display from the Blues against Burnley. Believe it or not, the chief, Cesc, with the magic hat also went in after the break for an early shower when a comeback looked to occur if Morata’s debut goal (that seemed to redeem his atrocious spot-kick a week earlier) was anything to go buy. Chelsea were confusingly and pathetically bad.
In the game of football, the best situation for a defeated team is another match in (very) quick succession. Maybe not Tottenham Hotspurs…preferably bottlers. Okay maybe Spurs. Spurs dominated the game but Chelsea ultimately dominated Spurs. Dripping with red-hot delight, the left foot of Marcos Alonso eluded the kiss of Alderweireld in the free-kick wall and taught Captain Lloris a bitter lesson to clinch the winner two minutes from regulation time. Batshuayi did not have much to laugh about when he headed in the third goal of the match past his compatriot…which counted as one for the opposition. Antonio Conte was pragmatic enough to deploy a packed midfield 3–5–2 with David Luiz standing pretty albeit, firmly just in front of the defence line to thwart the efforts of Eriksen and Alli. He succeeded. So did Christensen with nine clearances and four blocks. Morata missed a sitter early on but a certain masked Pedro came on to provide the assist.Kante covered the grounds and Willian hit the bar. The other lads did well. Hazard, Cesc, Cahill are all expected to return fully into the squad in the coming weeks. Have the current champions, comeback to defend their title?


Written exclusively by Nonso Oluwafemi Abejegah(Chelsea Correspondent) for Football Matters
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