Chelsea's bore draw with Arsenal proves Conte needs a plan B
The Blues failed to make their dominance pay once again in a 0-0 draw with a weakened Arsenal side, casting serious doubt on hopes of silverware
Chelsea are now undefeated in nine matches but Wednesday night's League Cup semi-final stalemate at home to Arsenal makes it three draws in a row for a side that is sorely lacking the tactical variation required to break down stubborn opponents.
At present, Manchester City's Plan A, B and C are all far more effective than the Blues' one-dimensional approach, which is why the Londoners currently trail Pep Guardiola's champions-elect by 16 points in the Premier League standings, but even Jose Mourinho at Manchester United has more attacking options available to him right now than Antonio Conte does at Stamford Bridge.
An understrength Arsenal side were second best for the duration of their first-leg clash with Chelsea but that was hardly surprising, given they had six players out injured and the seemingly City-bound Alexis Sanchez sitting on the bench. The Gunners did an excellent job nullifying their hosts.
Chelsea, essentially, have two main formations and went for their slightly more cautious 3-5-2 on Wednesday. That system had served Conte well after Chelsea's struggles in October, when they were all over the place defensively, but it is only effective from an attacking perspective when Alvaro Morata is firing on all cylinders.
Indeed, Chelsea's lack of goals and firepower is becoming a worry and it is something that will need to be addressed if the club is to win anything this season, with the Premier League title destined to go to Manchester City.
When Conte let loose at the referee in the final stages at Stamford Bridge, it was hard not to feel that the Italian's frustration was not borne of the referee's refusal to award a penalty for a perceived foul on Cesc Fabregas, but rather his own team's failure to break down a determined defence.
It is in danger of becoming the abiding image of Chelsea's season.
Source: www.goal.com