Antonio Conte's 'perfect' Chelsea tactics are making Premier League title rivals 'jealous', says Pat Nevin

Vaishali Bhardwaj28 December 2016

Pat Nevin believes Chelsea's title rivals will be "jealous" of Antonio Conte's team options after the Italian coach successfully dealt with the absence of suspended pair Diego Costa and N'Golo Kante against Bournemouth.

The striker and the midfielder both missed the Boxing Day game at Stamford Bridge after picking up five yellow cards in the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace the previous week.

But Conte's decision to play Eden Hazard up front instead of striker Michy Batshuayi proved a good one as the Belgian helped create Pedro's opener before he won and converted a second-half penalty, which ensured Chelsea beat Bournemouth 3-0.

Pedro, who also shone in the win on Monday, will not be available for selection in Chelsea's New Year's Eve match with Stoke through suspension although Costa and Kante will return.

In Pictures | Chelsea vs Bournemouth | 26/12/2016

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And Nevin believes the options available to Conte are such that Chelsea's rivals will have a hint of jealousy as clubs such as second-placed Liverpool try and overcome their own injury woes while maintaining the pressure on the Blues.

"There is going to be some imagination from Antonio needed as the season goes on, but that doesn’t look like a problem right now," Nevin wrote in his weekly column on Chelsea's website.

"With no Diego Costa or Kante, Chelsea needed another way to win and in its execution this frontline of Willian, Hazard and Pedro was perfection on the day.

"Of course there was some expectation of going with Michy up front and keeping the style the same, but the manager must have looked at the opposition and spotted their weaknesses.

"What it gives us is another option when trying to break down defences and another fear to strike into the hearts of our competitors.

"Up until now in this incredible run it was clear that we have enjoyed a level of consistency everyone is jealous of, not just in results but also in team selection too.

"This will again be tested when we face Stoke City and Spurs in the coming days, but there are clearly now options that others hadn’t considered.

Chelsea's winning run in the Premier League under Antonio Conte

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"The point to remember is that both Stoke and Spurs will be tested at least as severely in the same ways with their squads and their tactical acumen.

"Not only is it three games in an incredibly short time, it is also the injuries these games throw up. In addition this is possibly the worst moment in the season for suspensions as the ban for five yellows changes to 10 in the New Year, this will worry others more than us now.

"Many players at other clubs are walking that tightrope now which Diego and N’Golo slipped off as we approached the bells, with Pedro now suspended for one game against Stoke."

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