Chelsea are in the Premier League’s box seat after securing a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace last weekend. A clinical finish from Diego Costa nearing the interval was enough for the Blues to extend their winning streak to 11 matches.
Next up for the Blues are Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge. Considering their winning appetite, this match didn’t actually look like a huge contest for them until Costa and N’golo Kante picked up yellow cards at Selhurst Park and the inspiring duo will be suspended to play against the Cherries. The Spaniard has been prolific up front with 13 league goals while Kante has been delivering exactly what Chelsea paid for him – governing the spine of the midfield with dynamism and intelligence.
An astounding stat:
N’Golo Kante is a winner. pic.twitter.com/uYpFzH2Q3m
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 15, 2016
In their absence, the gulf in class between the two teams is clearly reduced and a struggling Crystal Palace are certainly no Bournemouth. The Cherries pulled off a heroic 4-3 comeback triumph over Liverpool a few weeks back yet all those hard work was undone as they have only picked up 3 points in the last 3 matches. They will be looking to bounce back from their shocking 3-1 defeat to Southampton last time out and given the key players crisis for their opponent, they would fancy their chances to halt Chelsea’s winning streak.
On the other hand, it’s not all doom and gloom for Conte as he has the resources to get the job done. Cesc Fabregas is expected to fill the void left by Kante and Belgian forward Michy Batshuayi would take charge as Costa’s deputy. Despite still struggling to elbow his way past his midfield mates if a fully fit squad is available, Fabregas has proved his worth in the last few games – netting the winning goal against Sunderland and a sublime assist at the Etihad Stadium.
Meanwhile, Batshuayi is a diamond that needs a little more polishing. The 23-year-old has been taking up a spectator role for most of the time this season. He does ooze ample of quality but can he deliver as a solo striker? Costa, this season has proved that there is more to his game than just finding the back of the net as he also brings the best out of his comrades with 5 assists already. Thus it would be naive to place all responsibilities on the young striker as Costa’s duty should be shared across the attacking line. On the papers, it does appear to be a strong side yet it’s a little dubious whether the former Juventus boss will employ the same 3-4-3 formation as he is known to tweak the blueprint here and there according to the situation.
Chelsea’s faithful expressed their concern over the social media:
Make that: WWWWWWWWWWW. Incredible form at the moment. But Bournemouth on Boxing Day, without Costa and Kante, won't be easy.
— Dan Levene (@danlevene) December 17, 2016
Kante and Costa miss boxing day and we have Batshuayi and Fabregas to come in. Could be worse!
— Màtt ⭐⭐ (@MattCFC_) December 17, 2016
https://twitter.com/thendo_n/status/810131795966562305
https://twitter.com/Lampardly/status/810515364631244800
Without his well-oiled team, questions will be raised as to Conte’s credibility to get the job done and the home crowd behind them will offer an additional helping hand.