{"id":1197,"date":"2016-10-04T09:21:47","date_gmt":"2016-10-04T13:21:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonfootball.com\/?p=1197"},"modified":"2017-05-27T15:42:21","modified_gmt":"2017-05-27T19:42:21","slug":"conte-victor-moses-incredible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2016\/10\/04\/conte-victor-moses-incredible\/","title":{"rendered":"Conte: ‘Victor Moses Incredible Performance’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte<\/strong> hailed Victor Moses<\/strong> \u2018incredible\u2019 contribution after the Nigerian winger made a surprising start at wing-back. Chelsea<\/strong> won 2-0 away at Hull City<\/strong> on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Victor Moses Reborn<\/h2>\n

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<\/strong>, Moses would have been forgiven for letting his mind wander and turning thoughts to where in the Premier League<\/strong> 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<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Saturday\u2019s match at Hull\u2019s KCOM stadium<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

Branislav Ivanovic<\/strong> and Cesc Fabregas<\/strong> were the men to make way following Chelsea\u2019s embarrassing loss at Arsenal the previous week. Chelsea\u2019s back line featured a three man defence of Gary Cahill, David Luiz<\/strong> and Cesar Azpillicueta<\/strong>. Summer signing\u00a0Marcos Alonso<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

The Match<\/h3>\n

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<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The second half saw improvement from a Chelsea perspective; Ngolo Kante<\/strong> showing some of the form that prompted the West Londoners to part with \u00a330 million to acquire his service in the summer. As the game went on,\u00a0Willian<\/strong> and Diego Costa<\/strong> scored curling finishes to put the game beyond Hull; but in Conte\u2019s eyes the man who made the telling contribution was Moses.<\/p>\n

‘Moses Played an Incredible Game’<\/h3>\n

\u201cFor me, Moses\u00a0played an incredible game<\/a> in a defensive and offensive situation\u201d, Conte told reporters. \u201cIt 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\u2019s a great option.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Conte is able to utilise a back three and a back four, this tactical dexterity will help provide answers to some of Chelsea\u2019s defensive fragilities. Recent losses to Liverpool and Arsenal have put these issues back into the spotlight. The absence of captain John Terry<\/strong> 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\u00a0especially true with a manager like Conte.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n