5 things Conte needs to do at Chelsea

Cape Town - Antonio Conte needs to breathe new life into Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Sport24's Tashreeq Vardien writes.

Back in December 2015, Chelsea found themselves hanging on for dear life in the English Premiership title race.

The "Special One", Jose Mourinho, was causing a different kind of havoc during his third season of his second stint as the Blues' manager.

Chelsea were hanging on by a thread close to the relegation zone when Mourinho was given the sack by owner Roman Abramovich.

Guus Hiddink was then brought in to save The Pensioners campaign and did so with the club finishing 10th in the final league standings.

With safety secured many of the players can look forward to new life under Conte, who was announced as manager in April.

Here are FIVE things Conte needs to do ahead of the new season:

DEFENCE LINE NEEDS ATTENTION

Chelsea's goalkeeping department is sorted with Thibaut Courtois between the sticks, but it is the defensive line which Conte needs to focus on.

John Terry has agreed to remain at the club having extended his contract by a year. But the 34-year-old finds himself nearing the end of his career.

Gary Cahill has not been in the best of form with Kurt Zouma doing particularly well in his place before rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee against Manchester United in March. The injury will keep the France international out at least until the end of August.

The Italian manager is looking to bring in a centre-back with rumours of Antonio Rudiger being on his way to the club. Stephan Lichtsteiner was also linked with a move to the Blues, but rumours seem to have died out with the Juventus defender being touted as too old.

Branislav Ivanovic and Cesar Azpilicueta have starred for the club under Mourinho and Hiddink. Conte would probably look to bring in competition to keep the players on their toes.

LOOK AT THE ACADEMY BOYS

Chelsea have enjoyed two seasons of success in their youth structure of late. The London side has won back-to-back UEFA Under-19 Champions League titles - now known as UEFA Youth League - signaling the amount of talent the club has in their academy.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has shown glimpses of what he is capable of in midfield with his energetic performances. The 20-year-old will be hoping to impress Conte and attempt to solidify his spot in the first XI.

Jake Clarke-Salter is highly-rated by everyone at the club and the 18-year-old was influential in their academy side's back-to-back Youth League triumphs in Europe. 

There must be something in the waters at the club's academy and Conte should utilise the talent that is brewing in London.

HOLD ON TO HAZARD

Eden Hazard had an underwhelming 2015/16 season and only recently found his form while captaining Belgium in France at the European Championship. Conte will need to hold on to the 25-year-old as Paris Saint-Germain - along with Real Madrid - are said to be interested in the midfielder. With Zinedine Zidane guiding Madrid to Champions League glory, Hazard could be tempted to jump ship as the London side have to make do without any European football this season.

THEY NEED ANOTHER 'DROGBA'

Not necessarily another Didier Drogba, but the Ivorians scoring capabilities during the Mourinho era certainly stood out.

Diego Costa bagged 20 goals in his debut season at the Blues, but could not repeat the feat last year, notching a dozen. The forward has also been controversial on the pitch with several heated encounters. However, Costa might be on his way out with Atletico Madrid eager to lure the striker back to Spain.

Chelsea have already added a striker to their ranks with the signing of Michy Batshuayi and Conte will hope the Belgian can put the ball in the back of the net with regularity in the upcoming campaign.

GET FABREGAS TICKING AGAIN

Conte needs to get Cesc Fabregas ticking again - that is if Chelsea can fend off interest from Manchester United - as Mourinho looks to lure the Spaniard up north.

In the 2014/15 season the midfielder racked up the most assists in the Premier League, which helped guide the Stamford Bridge side to League glory. It would be strange to see the former Arsenal man jump ship to yet another Premier League club following the hostilities from Arsenal fans when he arrived in London.

Meanwhile, Conte's pursuit of Radja Nainggolan has fallen flat with the Belgian opting to remain at Roma for another season. 

N'golo Kante is another target for Chelsea as they have recently tabled a £29m bid for the French sensation with Mourinho sniffing around the availability of Nemanja Matic.

With the transfer window still open for a 48-days, Conte will likely add a few fresh faces and let go of some dead weight as Chelsea look to make the right kind of noise next season.

Telegraph: Barça show interest in Chelsea's Azpilicueta

According to British newspaper 'The Telegraph', FC Barcelona have shown their interest in the situation of Cesar Azpilicueta, to bolster the right side of their defence following the departure of Dani Alves.

The story suggests that the Spain international does not fit into new Chelsea manager Antonio Conte's plans and the Catalan club could soon make an offer for the player. Azpilicueta also interests Athletic Bilbao, who could have fresh money available if Manchester City pay the buy-out clause for Aymeric Laporte.

The information states that the player wishes to return to Spain, after a season in which he returned to the Chelsea first team despite their problems, and was called up to Vicente Del Bosque's Euro 2016 squad.

He can play in both full-back positions, though stands out more for his defensive, rather than attacking, qualities. Chelsea are already looking for replacements.

Barça have been scouring the market for right-backs, and it seems Joao Cancelo is the player who best fits the plans of the coaching staff due to his technical ability and offensive attributes.

Chelsea vs Tottenham: Cesc Fabregas ‘sparked tunnel bust-up’ with Spurs set for record fine

Cesc Fabregas allegedly triggered a tunnel bust-up at the end of Chelsea’s stormy 2-2 draw with Tottenham which left both clubs facing heavy punishment from the Football Association.

Standard Sport has been told of the Chelsea midfielder’s involvement although one counter-claim suggests it was Tottenham forward Erik Lamela, who sparked the confrontation.

The FA were today waiting to see which incidents were in referee Mark Clattenburg’s report from a hugely controversial evening at Stamford Bridge in which the Blues came from 2-0 down to earn a point which handed the Premier League title to Leicester City.

Players from both sides frequently clashed throughout the game and are almost certain to face an FA charge for breaching Rule E20 (a) - failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion - at the bare minimum.

The charge carries an initial standard fine for a club’s first offence of the season but both Tottenham and Chelsea have already been punished for a similar incident during their respective matches against West Brom.

A second charge would be reviewed by the regulatory commission and there is no standard penalty, meaning both clubs could be punished severely.

Fabregas could also be in the dock after being accused of instigating further ugly scenes as the players left the pitch after the final whistle. 

Standard Sport has been told the Chelsea midfielder began goading members of Tottenham’s backroom staff in a mixture of Spanish and English provoking a reaction which led Blues interim boss Guus Hiddink to fall to the ground in a collision with Tottenham’s Danny Rose as he waded in to protect Fabregas.

Romelu Lukaku brace puts Everton in FA Cup semis with win over Chelsea

Everton striker Romelu Lukaku produced two moments of magic to knock his former club Chelsea out of the FA Cup.

The Belgium international beat the combined defensive might of Cesar Azpilicueta, Jon Obi Mikel, Branislav Ivanovic and Gary Cahill to score a brilliant individual opening goal.

He then finished off the visitors with a clinical right-footed strike to give his side their first visit to Wembley since the 2012 semifinal, which they lost to near-neighbours Liverpool.

Lukaku was deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge by Jose Mourinho but since moving to Everton in a £28 million deal he has scored 63 goals in 118 appearances and has 25 this season alone -- the first player to achieve that feat for Everton since Gary Lineker in 1985-86.

Romelu Lukaku guided Everton to a win over his former club Chelsea in Saturday's quarterfinal.

Majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri, attending his first match since acquiring an £85m 49.9 percent stake in the club, has pledged to provide the cash to keep their star players and he would be well advised to make the big striker an offer he cannot refuse as soon as possible.

Almost single-handedly Lukaku inflicted Guus Hiddink's first domestic victory since taking over in mid-December and to compound matters for the Dutch caretaker boss, striker Diego Costa was sent off late on after a clash with Gareth Barry which may invite further scrutiny.

The Spain international pushed his face into Barry's neck, seemingly intent on biting him, but appeared to withdraw at the last moment.

The players then embraced but Costa was still shown a red card -- and Barry followed moments later for a second booking.

While there had been no indication in the preceding 77 minutes of the brilliance which Lukaku produced, the late flurry of yellow and red cards was entirely predictable.

Diego Costa clashes with Gareth Barry following his red card.

There were more fouls than shots in a scrappy, over-physical first half which surprisingly saw only two bookings.

It was absolutely no surprise Costa was one, cautioned for jumping into Barry in retribution for the midfielder's foul on him earlier which the Chelsea striker felt should have warranted a yellow card.

Pedro's heavy touch took the ball out of play after he skipped past Robles but it was not until the 44th minute there was a save of any note as Joel Robles tipped over Willian's free kick.

Costa came closest to breaking the deadlock just before the hour but having skipped past Ramiro Funes Mori and Robles, his shot from the acutest of angles rolled along the goal line and past the far post.

Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois denied compatriot Lukaku after Cleverley's incisive through-ball but was powerless to deny him when he stepped up a gear 12 minutes from time.

When he picked up the ball wide on the left there appeared little danger but Lukaku set off with such drive and determination Chelsea's defenders just could not handle him. Having weaved his way past four players, he confidently stroked home.

His second, from the other side of the penalty area, was less spectacular but equally clinical.

Chelsea knew the game was up but Costa's decision to clash with Barry was patently ridiculous, considering what had gone before.

His red card was swiftly followed by another after Barry's foul on Cesc Fabregas, but it could not dampen Everton's celebrations as Chelsea's last hope of silverware went the same way as Costa.

Red-carded Costa denies biting rival as Chelsea exits FA Cup

Diego Costa told Chelsea he didn’t bite an Everton opponent in a confrontation that led to the fiery striker being sent off on Saturday as his team was knocked out of the FA Cup.

Chelsea had just been humiliated by former striker Romelu Lukaku scoring twice in a five-minute span, including a breathtaking solo goal, when Costa was sent off in the 84th minute of Everton’s 2-0 win in the FA Cup quarterfinals.

Reacting to a challenge from Gareth Barry, Costa thrust his head at the Everton midfielder before appearing to sink his teeth toward Barry’s neck in a biting motion. Having already been shown a yellow card for a 10th-minute foul on Barry, Costa was dismissed for the first time in two seasons at Chelsea after being booked again.

There was no immediate reaction from Barry to suggest he had been bitten. More than four hours after the incident, Chelsea insisted there was no bite.

“Diego spoke to club officials after the game and expressed regret over his reaction to the challenge from Gareth Barry that led to his red card,” Chelsea said late Saturday on Twitter. “But Diego was also very clear that he did not bite him at any point during that altercation.”

Everton also ended with 10 men after Barry himself was shown a second yellow card three minutes later for catching Cesc Fabregas.

“Diego Costa had a fighting spirit and I would like to praise the referee (Michael Oliver),” Everton manager Roberto Martinez said. “The sending off of Costa was right.

“The sending off of Gareth Barry was right and the referee never allowed those emotions to stop the fluency. Whatever happens with Diego Costa I am sure the two players shook it off.”

The FA Cup exit followed Chelsea being eliminated from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

Any hopes of defending the Premier League trophy were extinguished long ago, with Chelsea currently 10th with nine games remaining and highly likely to miss out on European football next season.

Manchester City doesn’t look like it will be succeeding Chelsea as Premier League champions after being held 0-0 at relegation-threatened Norwich on Saturday to stay fourth, nine points behind surprise leader Leicester.

The late dismissals at Goodison Park overshadowed Lukaku’s superb goals which left Chelsea to rue offloading the Belgium striker in 2014 for 28 million pounds (then $47 million), having spent most of his career on loan away from Stamford Bridge.

Lukaku’s first goal came in the 77th minute after Ross Barkley slipped the ball through to him on the left wing. Lukaku slalomed past two players before cutting inside past defenders Cesar Azpilicueta and Branislav Ivanovic and striking low past compatriot Thibaut Courtois.

The Belgium goalkeeper was beaten again in the 82nd when Lukaku put the ball through his legs for his 25th goal of the season — a tally greater than Chelsea’s strikers combined.

So, unlike in 2009, Guus Hiddink will not be ending this interim spell as Chelsea manager by lifting the FA Cup.

And Jose Mourinho’s permanent successor will have to rebuild the squad by attracting players to a team likely out of Europe. At the same time, Chelsea is still dealing with the legal fallout from Mourinho’s rift with its former team doctor on the opening day of the season as Eva Carneiro’s constructive dismissal case heads to a public tribunal hearing.

Relegation was the immediate threat to Chelsea when Hiddink replaced Mourinho in December but the champions’ Premier League status is not under threat.

“My first task was to get us, as soon as possible, out of this relegation zone which we surprisingly did well within a few weeks from the 16th place to 10th,” Hiddink said. “But then it is difficult, as I said before, to achieve the Champions League places and maintain two roads to have success which is the FA Cup and which was the Champions League. They are gone now and that’s a pity.”

Bournemouth looks like staying for a second season in the top flight after beating Swansea 3-2 to move 13 points clear of the relegation zone with eight games to play.

Steve Cook grabbed the winner after Max Gradel netted his first goal for the south-coast club and Joshua King only his second.

Swansea had leveled twice, first through Modou Barrow and then Gylfi Sigurdsson. But the Welsh club is now only two places and eight points above the drop zone.

Norwich remains in the relegation zone despite drawing with Manchester City, but above Newcastle and Aston Villa.

In Saturday’s third Premier League game, Graziano Pelle scored twice as Southampton beat Stoke 2-1, leapfrogging the hosts in the standings to seventh place. Southampton had Sadio Mane sent off in second-half stoppage time for an elbow on Erik Pieters.

Chelsea draws 2-2 as Oscar misses late penalty

LONDON: Guus Hiddink was unable to inspire Chelsea to victory in his first Premier League match back in charge at Stamford Bridge, with Oscar missing a late penalty in the 2-2 draw with Watford on Saturday. 

With both sides hunting all three points, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard was tripped by Valon Behrami after a marauding run into the penalty area in the 80th minute. 

Oscar stepped up but slipped in his run-up and blazed high over the crossbar. 

“We wanted to win today,” Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic told Sky Sports. “It’s not a good result for us, we are sad, we wanted three points. Oscar has to keep his head up because these things can happen. I’m sure he will score the next one.” 

Chelsea is 15th in the Premier League standings after the draw, while Watford is seventh but moves level on 29 points with Manchester United, which occupies sixth on superior goal difference. 

Diego Costa scored both of Chelsea’s goals but picked up his fifth yellow card of the season for a foul in the 88th and will be suspended for his side’s next match, against Man United, on Monday. 

“Diego Costa showed his best today,” said Hiddink, who was interim manager of Chelsea in 2009. “It is a pity.” 

Costa put Chelsea ahead in the 32nd minute, with an instinctive volley after John Terry won a header from Willian’s corner. 

But three minutes before halftime, Watford captain Troy Deeney hauled his side level with a penalty, sending Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois the wrong way after Matic was penalized for handball. 

Watford, heading into the match with four straight wins, was galvanized by the equaliser and soon forced itself into the lead. 

Odion Ighalo was allowed to turn and run at goal by Gary Cahill in the 56th minute, and his left-footed shot deflected off the defender and looped beyond Courtois. 

But Chelsea kept pushing to get back into the game, and Watford’s lead was short-lived. 

Costa notched his second with a composed finish that conjured memories of the striker in action for Chelsea last season, when his 20 goals propelled the club to the league title. 

There were claims of offside from the Watford defence as he ran through to reach an ambitious pass by Willian, before taking one touch to control before lashing across Heurelho Gomes and into the far corner. 

Both sides were unhappy to settle for a point, but the best chance either had for victory was Oscar’s spot kick. 

“It was tough to play against Chelsea but I’m very happy with the point,” Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores said. “I think the team has enough confidence for the future, it’s amazing for the story of Watford.”

Cesar Azpilicueta issues rallying cry ahead of Leicester v Chelsea

On the bench the Chelsea boss can turn to Cesc Fabregas if he needs to throw on another midfielder, while Pedro Rodriguez and Loic Remy are attacking options for the Portuguese.

In the heart of the defence, Kurt Zouma's pace and mobility has seen him named alongside John Terry, who brings experience to the centre of the backline.

Leicester City now lie second on the English Premier League table but could go back to the first position if they win their match against Chelsea today and Chelsea could drop further down on the table if they lose against Leicester City.

Blues boss Jose Mourinho trusts in Diego Costa to lead the line, with Eden Hazard, Willian and Oscar lining up to support the Spain worldwide.

Leicester, meanwhile, have picked two strikers to face the stuttering champions, with Leonardo Ulloa set to partner Jamie Vardy, who has scored 14 goals in 15 domestic games this season.