Sunday 30 October 2016 08:11, UK
Cesar Azpilicueta has played a key role in Chelsea's recent revival. Here, he tells Johnny Phillips about Antonio Conte's tactics, the team spirit in the camp and plans for a late-season sprint for the title...
This is not the Premier League season to be switching off. It changes by the week. Five contenders currently separated by just one point suggest that, even at this early stage, we could be witnessing the most competitive title chase in years.
Take Chelsea. They entered October fresh from a dispiriting 3-0 defeat at Arsenal and were being written off by plenty of observers, but now the Blues head into the last game of the same month with three wins, three clean sheets and their heads held high after a 4-0 demolition of Manchester United.
The key for the team has been the change in system. Manager Antonio Conte jettisoned his four-man defence after the Arsenal debacle and for the next game away at Hull lined up with three at the back; Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz and Gary Cahill. The three men have remained in place in the Premier League since that trip to Hull and the team has progressively improved against Leicester and then United.
It is a system Azpilicueta has enjoyed operating in. "I find it good. The most important thing for me is the team and since we changed the system we haven't conceded goals in the Premier League," he told Sky Sports.
The most important part of the system is the spirit of the team and the way we work. The tactics make a difference but what was most pleasing was the way the team work made it happen.
"I try to play my part in the team. The most important part of the system is the spirit of the team and the way we work. The tactics make a difference but what was most pleasing was the way the team work made it happen. Some players have different roles now but we have all week to work on that and we have a very clear idea what to do in the game. We have different options from the attacking fullbacks now."
Ahead of Azpilicueta on the right hand side is Victor Moses, who has successfully adapted to the role of right wing-back and appears to be flourishing with the new-found responsibility. "Victor has played most of the time as a winger but he has to defend in this role now and he needs help," Azpilicueta continues.
"I have talked with him and explained a lot of the defensive side because he has to adapt to that now. He's offensive-minded, we have seen that when he gets in those positions, but he's working hard and it's great to have him in the side."
Moses could have no better on-field tutor. It is two years now since Gary Neville described the Spaniard as "as near to perfect as is possible when it comes to defending." Azpilicueta's performances dipped last season but his current form is as close to those near-perfect displays as is possible.
For positional awareness and cleanness in the tackle there is no-one to touch him. So does he prefer his new role in the side to that of fullback? "I don't mind - I want to help the team whatever the position is!"
You can add diplomacy to those qualities too. Azpilicueta is happier discussing the virtues of his team-mates. When N'Golo Kante scored Chelsea's fourth against United the entire outfield team joined in the celebrations. It was a popular goal. "He will not change. He's a worker," says Azpilicueta. "But he knows when he has a chance to go forward that he can do it very well. On that occasion he scored an amazing goal. It's important for us as well that he can contribute an extra dimension like that because it gives us extra options."
There were four different goalscorers against United. "That's really important because you always need to have a few options. We scored from set-pieces and individual excellence, that's great because you need to create those chances and score in different ways when needed."
The euphoria of the United win was dampened in the midweek EFL Cup fourth round tie, when Conte made seven changes from the league match and Chelsea lost 2-1 at West Ham United. Frustrating?
"Yes, frustrating, because we have lost one of the three chances we had to win a trophy. I think we could have done better. When you lose that type of game you have to look to improve. We are in very good form in the league and we have to move forward from Wednesday and come back strong."
What Chelsea fans want to know is whether or not Conte's first season at Stamford Bridge will end with him landing the big one. Azpilicueta is happy to talk titles, but it comes with a caveat.
"Even though we are one point off the lead it still feels like we are a long way away. I'd like to be higher, we have to keep improving. The two games we lost in a row and also the dropped points at Swansea hurt us a lot," he explains.
"We have to keep getting the points to be up there. We have the chance to prepare all week for a game because we don't have European football. We want to be there and we will try and arrive at the final sprint with a chance to win the title. But it's a long way off, we have to think about Southampton away first."
Azpilicueta may not want to look too far into the future, but if Chelsea can replicate October's form in the forthcoming months they will have a major say in the title reckoning.
