Chelsea beat Fulham 2-0 at the weekend, and there were lots of good things for fans to take from the game. We’ve picked out three of them here:
+Confidence restored
The defeat to Spurs last week was worrying not only because of the performance, but also because of the sense that the team’s confidence in this system might have been broken. There were a lot of calls for change last week, but it was business as usual against Fulham; and now there’s a fresh sense of purpose and belief that we’re on the right track.
+Competition heats up
Ross Barkley had stolen Mateo Kovacic’s first team spot, but he was subsequently put under pressure by Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s showing off the bench yesterday. Equally, Pedro came in to usurp Willian, and Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata continue to battle for minutes up front. At last the fringe players are upping the ante on the starters in the squad.
+Kante steps forward
N’Golo Kante’s position on the pitch, and even his place in the team, were questioned after defeat at Wembley, with plenty still unconvinced he’s at his best in the forward areas where Maurizio Sarri likes to place him. The first goal last week was the ideal rebuttal – the midfielder’s advanced position allowed him to press close to the opposition box, where he was able to nick the ball and play in Pedro to open the scoring.
