Kante cover key to Chelsea dominance

Chelsea will be looking to protect or extend their healthy nine-point lead at the top of the table when early season conquerors Arsenal visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Ahead of what could be a defining contest, Adrian Clarke evaluates the defensive aspects of Antonio Conte’s side.

Kante 'bite'

In footballing parlance teams are often accused of “needing more legs" or “lacking bite”.

These are the sort of expressions that outlined where Chelsea needed to improve down the spine of their team this season. 

During the course of 2015/16, midfielders Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic did not perform brilliantly without the ball. Lacking aggression, they were overrun and bypassed too easily in the middle third.

This left central defenders Gary Cahill and John Terry exposed, and Chelsea’s full-backs suffered too. Holes and overloads appeared, and rivals made them pay.

The introduction of N'Golo Kante’s “legs” and defensive “bite” has transformed them. 

The Frenchman’s mobility and nose for sensing danger are exceptional.

The 25-year-old will happily push on and press high up the pitch; he can sit and screen expertly, and you’ll also see him sprinting across to either wing throughout the course of 90 minutes to supply cover.

Kante tops the charts for most tackles, most interceptions, most blocked passes and most ball recoveries.

Antonio Conte needed a player who would make life uncomfortable for opponents in possession, and he chose the right man to recruit.

Arsene Wenger, who admitted he had looked to buy Kante on two occasions, might be regretting his failure to do so.

Chelsea players' tackles and interceptions

His lateral movement is especially important.

Knowing teams like to target areas in behind Conte’s adventurous wing-backs, the former Leicester City star, along with a rejuvenated Nemanja Matic, has foiled a host of counter-attacks by dashing towards the touchline to break up play.

This allows the back three to stay compact, without getting stretched too regularly.

Check out the tackles Kante won (nine from 14) during Tuesday night’s clash at Anfield. Very few were in the centre of the pitch.

Kante: Successful tackles v Liverpool

Settled side, settled system

That chastening 3-0 loss at Arsenal prompted a tactical rethink, and ever since Conte switched to a 3-4-2-1 formation the Blues haven’t looked back.

It’s a balanced shape that suits his individuals, which is why the Italian has so far made zero changes to his preferred back line since the start of October.

In the Premier League, the defensive unit of Victor Moses, Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill and Marcos Alonso have remained in situ since 2 October.

Defensive changes since 2 October

The Chelsea manager has perhaps been fortunate not to lose any of his first-choice defenders to injury or suspension, but even so, it is remarkable that he has made no alterations, especially compared to their principle challengers.

As Leicester City proved last term, continuity is king.

Adaptable shape

We have seen two sides to Chelsea within their new tactical set up.

In many matches, especially on home turf when they are dominating, they force errors inside the opposition half extremely well.

It may surprise many, but Diego Costa has made more ‘turnovers’ than any other forward in the division so far this season. A revitalized Eden Hazard is also top man when it comes to winning possession back inside the final third.

When Chelsea are in the ascendency like that (see Average Position map v Everton) they send both wing-backs forward, safe in the knowledge that Matic and Kante will protect them from being hurt on the break. They shift wide when necessary, or drop into a back three.

It’s a five and five approach, splitting into even defensive and attacking sectors.

This philosophy rarely leaves the Blues overexposed. It’s worth noting that Chelsea have not let in a single goal from a breakaway since Mesut Ozil made it 3-0 at Emirates Stadium.

Chelsea's average position v Everton

By contrast, in matches when Chelsea retreat and concede possession (see Average Position map v Liverpool) they can also easily revert to five at the back, coupled with two hardworking midfielders sat in front.

With David Luiz providing security as the extra defender, and Conte organising the players expertly, the leaders are incredibly hard to slice open when lying deep.

Another upside to having plenty of ‘bodies’ behind the ball is that attacking midfielders Hazard, Pedro and Willian can conserve a little more energy.

They are prepared to track back into the full-back positions, but it’s not always necessary in this system.

Chelsea's average position v Liverpool

Keeping opponents at arm’s length

Conte has turned Chelsea into the Premier League’s most solid defensive outfit. They look fitter, more determined and better structured.

They are excellent at keeping opponents at arm’s length. In fact no-one has had fewer efforts on target against them this season. This is a marked upgrade on how they fared under the previous regime, when they ranked 15th.

In 2015/16 opponents averaged 4.6 shots on target per match against Chelsea, but that number has shrunk to just 2.6 under the Italian.

Fewest shots on target faced in last two seasons

Weekend opponents Arsenal are the division’s most potent attacking force away from home, scoring 27 goals in 11 matches, but they will need to show real pace and creativity to break Chelsea down.

Blues' weak spot

The Blues have conceded just seven Premier League goals since Arsenal ripped them apart on 24 September, shutting out 12 of their next 17 opponents.

But the leaders are not perfect. They do have one standout weakness.

When you analyse the six goals they have shipped since Christian Eriksen’s strike from outside the box at Stamford Bridge in late November, you will note that balls delivered across the face of goal, primarily from the right-hand side, have caused them a host of problems.

Last six concessions

This chalkboard displays a Dele Alli double (white), strikes from Bruno Martins Indi and Peter Crouch (black), a Gary Cahill own goal (blue), and Georginio Wijnaldum’s close-range effort this week (red).

If you add Tom Nichols’ effort for Peterborough in the FA Cup - tapping home another low right-wing cross - it’s clear that a pattern exists.

Moving the ball wide quickly enough to get into advanced crossing positions, before the back three have had time to get set, is a way to unsettle Chelsea.

From those situations, indecision and spaces have appeared inside the box - and with neither Azpilicueta or Moses especially strong in the air, aiming crosses towards their domain has proved the most productive ploy.

Each of the last six goals against them have stemmed from either an early cross, or a knockdown squared for a team-mate inside the area.

It’s almost impossible to carve your way through the heart of Conte’s defence, but if you go around the outside at speed, they do not look quite as impregnable.

Arsenal will be well aware of this. Theo Walcott’s strike against them at Emirates Stadium came from an early cross along the face of goal by right-back Hector Bellerin.