By Gary Watton
January 10 2018
In Conte's highly successful league campaign of last year, his team rarely drew a match. However, in this last week he has had to make do with three very different but frustrating draws in three different competitions at three different venues. The chief source of these stalemates, mate, is an absence of free-scoring from the English champions. The Blues pressed against a largely subdued Arsenic last night, but the final killer pass was missing and any attempts at goal were either inaccurate or a bit weak. It seems that another back-up striker is called for. It might be worth taking a punt on a big target man like Andy Carroll. On the evidence of the Norwich visit, young Kenedy , the human tattoo, also needs a spell out on loan.
Yesterday's occasion, ultimately a damp squib, was a clear commercial for restricting the League Cup to one match semis, played at a neutral venue. Most clubs would welcome a one match reduction in their fixture commitments. The two-legged format seems like sheer folly. Absolutely nothing was resolved last night, and quite frankly nobody is the favourites to progress to the final. It's still totally up in the air. Perhaps sulky Sanchez will have relocated oop north by the time of the return leg.
Hopefully, the home team can recover their scoring touch when they play Leicester City on Saturday afternoon. There's only so many draws a young man can take!
CHELSEA 0 Arsenal 0; half time: 0-0
CHELSEA: Courtois; Azpilicueta; Christensen; Moses; Rudiger; Drinkwater; Kante; Morata; Fabregas; Alonso; Hazard. Used substitutes: Willian; Bakayoko; Batshuayi
CHELSEA leading scorers:
Morata twelve
Hazard nine
Batshuayi seven
Willian seven
Alonso six
Pedro four
Bakayoko three
Rudiger three
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