Chelsea supporters have been a lot more joyous in the Transfer Tavern in recent weeks following their side’s return to form.
Antonio Conte’s men lost 3-2 at home to Burnley on the opening day and there was much doom and gloom among the Blues faithful, yet three successive Premier League victories over Tottenham, Everton, and Leicester have given many fans much to sing about in the Tavern in recent times.
The 2-1 success at Craig Shakespeare’s Leicester on Saturday propelled Conte’s men up to third in the division and just a point behind the Manchester duo, and they began their Champions League campaign in emphatic fashion as well with a 6-0 thrashing of Qarabag at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
Conte raided the Foxes for Danny Drinkwater on the final day of the summer transfer window last month, and there were reports that teammate Riyad Mahrez could be joining him at Stamford Bridge, although no deal materialised for the 2015/16 PFA Player of the Year.
Nonetheless, Chelsea have been installed as 5/1 favourites with Sky Bet to sign Mahrez in the January window, and as such here is a ridiculously talented front line they could field were the Algeria star to make the move to West London in the New Year…
LW: Eden Hazard
There aren’t many better forward players in the Premier League than Eden Hazard, who played an integral part in helping Conte’s men win the title last term.
The Belgium international scored 16 goals and laid on five assists for the Blues last season to help inspire them to a fifth title in 13 years, with Hazard himself clinching his second since moving to Stamford Bridge from Lille back in 2012.
And although he’s yet to make a league start this time round due to injury, the 26-year-old is still Chelsea’s best attacking player, and it will surely be just a matter of time before he reclaims his place in Conte’s starting eleven as part of the Italian’s front three.
RW: Riyad Mahrez
Riyad Mahrez played a significant part in helping Leicester City win the Premier League back in 2016, and was rightly named the PFA Player of the Year for his exploits.
The Algeria international scored 17 goals and laid on ten assists as Claudio Ranieri’s men achieved the unthinkable, yet last term was a much tougher assignment for the 26-year-old, netting just six goals and laying on four assists in 36 Premier League matches.
His future was up in the air throughout the summer, and it was Chelsea who reportedly looked to be signing him on deadline day, albeit no deal materialised before the 11pm deadline on August 31.
Nonetheless, they may well return for him again in January – they are favourites with Sky Bet – and that could see Mahrez become a key part of Conte’s front three at Stamford Bridge come January.
ST: Alvaro Morata
Alvaro Morata has made a wonderful start to life at Chelsea following a £60 million move from Real Madrid over the summer.
The 24-year-old has scored three goals and laid on two assists in four Premier League games for the Blues since his arrival, as he seeks to replace the goals and overall attacking play of Diego Costa, who remains with the club but not in Conte’s plans.
Compatriot Morata though has made a fine start and, if he continues this rich vein of form, the Chelsea fans will have a new striker to rave about as the season progresses.
