Antonio Conte won his first Premier League match as the manager of Chelsea, thanks to second-half goals by Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, with a consolation goal coming from James Collins. N’Golo Kante made his debut for the Blues, after moving from Leicester City earlier in the summer for a hefty sum. What would have pleased the boss, the most would be the performance of Hazard and Costa, both the players suffered a massive dip in form last year, as Chelsea recorded the worst title defense in the history of the Premier League. However both Hazard and Costa looked fit and were full of running, it was especially surprising to Costa running directly at defenders at that speed.
Cesc Fabregas was one of the players who has suffered slightly due to the arrival of Conte. with the Italian so adamant on defending as a unit, the Spaniards lack of defensive sensibilities often leaves his team exposed. Even in the win against West Ham United, Fabregas started the match on the bench. Conte has already announced that Matic will definitely be part of his plans for next year and one feels that if Matic were to come back in form and play like he did in the 2014-2015 title winning season, that Kante and Matic could form the most solid central midfield pairing in the Premier League.
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The one player who will suffer the most due to this partnership is Fabregas, who although has played some games in the number 10 role, doesn’t completely look comfortable in any of the attacking positions. The Spanish midfielder is already 29 years of age, so the next move could be his final big club move. There are reports that Chelsea are looking towards top European clubs to take Fabregas off their wage bill.
Fabregas has always been successful in teams with quality players playing as a unit, however when things go a little south, it’s his p00r positional discipline and mental strength that are visible the most. Kante is a superb central midfielder, with a strong work ethic and Matic was one of the players of the season in 2014-2015, therefore it won’t be right to disturb that partnership for a player who will not offer the same amount of security as the other two. The fact that Kante and Matic were so good in the match against West Ham will automatically put more pressure on Fabregas as he looks to find his place in Conte’s starting XI.
The manager himself has refuted any reports linking Fabregas with a move away and has even said that the Spanish international definitely has a place in his plans. Conte could use the money from selling Fabregas to buy that second striker that he has been looking for all summer or even a playmaker like Mesut Ozil, who is perfect to play in that number 10 role.