Gary Cahill is looking like John Terry‘s heir with bravery and goals and Antonio Conte is one Italian Chelsea boss who knows how to tinker
When the Blues boss dropped Diego Costa and Eden Hazard for the FA Cup semi-final last weekend it could have sparked a meltdown at Stamford Bridge.
CHELSEA are just weeks away from reclaiming their Premier League title after comfortably swatting aside Southampton and shifting all the pressure back on flaky Spurs.
Days after beating their only title rival in their FA Cup semi-final, Antonio Conte tinkered with his starting line-up again but got the same brilliant result.
Here are five things we learnt from Stamford Bridge:
ANTONIO CONTE KNOWS HOW TO ROTATE
WHEN the Italian dropped Diego Costa and Eden Hazard for the FA Cup semi-final last weekend, it could have sparked a meltdown at Stamford Bridge.
With Real Madrid and the Chinese Super League eyeing up Chelsea’s ruthless attacking duo, it seemed Conte was playing with fire by resting precious star men.
But it not only paid off in the thumping win over Spurs – with Hazard trundling on to score – it also looked an inspired idea against Southampton in this win.
Costa and Hazard worked together for the opener inside the first five minutes, with the Belgian finishing coolly.
And the Spain international got his side’s third in the second half to kill off the Saints and close in on the Premier League.
JAMES WARD-PROWSE IS AN SET-PIECE ARTIST
The England youngster has always taken a sweet dead-ball but most Premier League footballers should be able to aim a standing ball in a rough general direction.
What proved the exceptional quality of JWP’s was the panic he caused in the Chelsea box every time he got the chance to work his magic.
Big Chelsea bruisers like Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Diego Costa don’t shy away from a header but Ward Prowse’s quality with almost every delivery had even the most solid Blue defender at sixes and sevens.
GARY CAHILL COULD BE THE NEW JT
IF Cahill was really the heir to John Terry he would have played through his stomach ache or kidney stones last weekend and operated on himself using Deep Heat for anaesthetic.
But - with the Captain, Leader, Legend getting the old heave-ho – someone is going to step into the breach.
Cahill now has seven goals and, unlike David Luiz, does not shoot from 45-yard free-kicks, he gets them by being brave in the box.
The goal he scored against Southampton could have been one from the lengthy Terry highlight reel.
Not only was he shrewd in his positioning in the box, he was brave for hammering home the header when Diego Costa was flinging a studded boot at the same floating ball.
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IF THIS IS GOODBYE – GOOD RIDDANCE
Every Premier League defender outside of the Kings Road will be hoping Diego Costa takes the Chinese Super League lucre they are waving under his hefty hooter.
He’s not the size of Romelu Lukaku, he lacks Alexis Sanchez’s pace and doesn’t take too many set-pieces but the man is a nightmare to defend against.
He is deceptively quick, strong and skillful and he makes as many goals as he scores.
Chelsea will struggle to replace him – even with Roman Abramovich’s billions – because like the very best strikers and players he seems to be able to win games on his own.
Chelsea are already losing John Terry’s grit and guts, Costa going East would also be a massive blow to the aura and fear factor he adds to that dressing room.
THERE’S NO WAY BACK FOR JT
EVEN at 3-1 up with just four minutes to go, Antonio Conte didn’t trust late sub John Terry to play in his favoured 3-4-3 formation.
When JT replaced Victor Moses for the final few minutes, the Chelsea pack was instantly shuffled to accommodate the club captain.
Surely the ex-England man could have handled five minutes in a back three against a Southampton side that was already halfway back down the M3?
The second goal Chelsea conceded meant nothing in the long run but it is a stain on their defensive record and did not impress the manager.
The backline was dragged out of their unfamiliar shape and the goal was painfully basic – the sort the usual back-three, minus JT, never concedes.