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Crushing Manchester City Shows Antonio Conte Has Rival Managers Running Scared
- Updated: December 5, 2016
In the “Year of the Manager,” as it’s being billed, it seems one has got the rest of the Premier League running for cover as his team sit three points clear at the top of the table.
We’re talking about Antonio Conte, who has his opponents cowering as they change their systems and style of play in an attempt to combat what his Chelsea side are doing.
Since switching to a 3-4-3, nobody has come close to bettering the Italian. Ronald Koeman, Jose Mourinho, Mauricio Pochettino and even Pep Guardiola have all tried; all of them have failed.
They’re not your average football managers, either. These are figures identified as being among the Premier League’s elite, and right now, Conte is making mincemeat out of them.
Only Arsene Wenger and Jurgen Klopp can claim to be his superior, but then their victories against Conte came almost by default. It was a poor imitation of his Chelsea that they put to the sword in September.
It’s eight games and eight victories now since the winds of change swept through Stamford Bridge. Defeating Manchester City this weekend is the most impressive of them all, not because of the scoreline or even the performance, but because of the circumstances. It was Chelsea beating a direct title rival in their own backyard.
Added to that, Chelsea did it on their terms. Such is the threat of Conte’s Chelsea now that even an esteemed coach of Guardiola’s standing has to change the way his team play to give confidence he can come away with something. And even then it’s not enough, as Saturday’s 3-1 victory for Chelsea showed.
That speaks of power; it speaks of a team that have all those around them questioning themselves and how they operate. It speaks of a manager who is the domineering feature of the 2016/17 campaign.
City were at home on Saturday, but still they adapted to suit Chelsea. For City to do that with Guardiola at the helm, a manager who oversaw arguably the best club side we have seen since the new millennium, it was a moment of huge significance. We know City aren’t Guardiola’s …
