Chelsea boss Antonio Conte hailed Victor Moses ‘incredible’ contribution after the Nigerian winger made a surprising start at wing-back. Chelsea won 2-0 away at Hull City on Saturday.
Victor Moses Reborn
In the summer, following the arrival of new coach Conte and having returned from yet another loan spell, this time at London rivals West Ham, Moses would have been forgiven for letting his mind wander and turning thoughts to where in the Premier League he would spend the 2016-17 season. He would also have been forgiven for thinking that there was a reasonable chance it may not be at Stamford Bridge.
Saturday’s match at Hull’s KCOM stadium was 25 year-old Moses first starting appearance in the Premier League in a Chelsea shirt since May 2013. Having made decent contributions as a substitute so far this season; Moses was entrusted by Conte to play at right wing-back in the Blues new look 3-4-3 formation.
Branislav Ivanovic and Cesc Fabregas were the men to make way following Chelsea’s embarrassing loss at Arsenal the previous week. Chelsea’s back line featured a three man defence of Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Cesar Azpillicueta. Summer signing Marcos Alonso made his full debut in the Premier League for his new club. He played on the left-hand side, with Moses featuring at right wing-back.
The Match
Initially Chelsea struggled to find fluidity. The new shape of the team and new player roles disrupted the flow of the ball for the men in blue. This allowed space in front of the defensive line for Hull to probe and test Thibaut Courtois.
The second half saw improvement from a Chelsea perspective; Ngolo Kante showing some of the form that prompted the West Londoners to part with £30 million to acquire his service in the summer. As the game went on, Willian and Diego Costa scored curling finishes to put the game beyond Hull; but in Conte’s eyes the man who made the telling contribution was Moses.
‘Moses Played an Incredible Game’
“For me, Moses played an incredible game in a defensive and offensive situation”, Conte told reporters. “It is fantastic because he is working very hard. He deserved to play and he showed me that my choice was right. If he plays in this way, it is fantastic. It gives you the opportunity to exploit a one versus one. If we have a wing-back who is able to do this role, it’s a great option.”
If Conte is able to utilise a back three and a back four, this tactical dexterity will help provide answers to some of Chelsea’s defensive fragilities. Recent losses to Liverpool and Arsenal have put these issues back into the spotlight. The absence of captain John Terry is having an effect. Having options at wing-back will not only help the Chelsea boss to implement different styles for different opponents; but for Victor Moses, it is proof that sometimes, hard-work and application counts for a lot. This is especially true with a manager like Conte.
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