Chelsea analysis: N'Golo Kante gets the job done yet again but worries grow for Alvaro Morata

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Simon Johnson8 December 2018

Chelsea blew the Premier League title race wide open after stopping Manchester City's unbeaten start to the season.

Goals from N'Golo Kante and David Luiz saw the Blues seal a famous victory at Stamford Bridge which leaves Liverpool top of the Premier League.

While the Blues found themselves under pressure in the first-half, a rugged display saw Maurizio Sarri's side hold on for a deserved win.

Simon Johnson was at Stamford Bridge to provide analysis for Standard Sport.

N'Golo Kante deserves all the credit in the world

Kante is the second best player at Chelsea football club and many players of his calibre might have moaned about his treatment this term.

The best defensive midfielder in the game, one who has won the World Cup no less, has suffered the bizarre fate of being asked to play somewhere else.

At no point has he complained or kicked up a fuss like other high profile talents in the sport might have done.

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The France international has just knuckled down and got on with the job, despite all and sundry saying he is being used wrongly.

Being on the right of a midfield three is unlikely to get the same great results as when he is employed in front of the back four.

Still, there has been signs of improvement lately and this was arguably his most outstanding contribution of the season.

Kante worked tirelessly to win back possession and broke up a number of Manchester City attacks.

He still appeared uncomfortable trying to pass it at times, but no-one can dispute the quality of the finish for Chelsea's opening goal.

It was a shot worthy of Frank Lampard as he fired the ball into the top corner to send Stamford Bridge wild.

Granted it was totally against the run of play, but it was the key moment of the match. Manchester City never recovered.

Worrying times for Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud

In Chelsea's biggest game of the season, Maurizio Sarri opted not to pick either of his centre forwards.

This will come as a huge slap in the face to the duo, even though many observers will argue they have not done enough this season.

Morata's omission from the squad altogether though created the biggest stir at Stamford Bridge.

For the most expensive striker in the club's history to be ignored altogether is some statement and not a very positive one.

Sarri suggested beforehand that there was no point having both forwards on the bench, but for Morata to sit this one out sends out the message that Sarri's patience with the Spain international is running out.

Giroud, who will be out of contract in the summer if Chelsea don't trigger an option, will be a worried man too.

Eden Hazard should not play as a 'false nine'

As a consequence of Sarri playing without a recognised striker, Hazard was asked to the lead the line instead.

It is a position he has been asked to play in before, but rarely to a very good effect - especially against Man City.

The Belgium international was picked by Sarri's predecessor Antonio Conte to start there the last time these two sides met at Etihad Stadium.

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Hazard complained afterwards then that he barely got a kick of the ball as his Chelsea team-mates aimed high ball after high ball in his direction.

For much of the first half it was history repeating itself. Hazard was having to win high challenges in the air against the likes of John Stones.

When there was an opportunity to play the ball into his feet, the Chelsea players were unable to do so.

Sarri will argue that Hazard was in the right place at the right time to set up Kante's goal.

But you're never going to keep the 27-year-old quiet for 90 minutes, even in a role that doesn't suit him.

Hazard never stopped working for the side and no-one can argue that he tried his utmost - but this should be a one-off.

If you're going to play this system, Pedro seems the most equipped to do so. However, Sarri probably sees the Spaniard's ability to track back as more useful than Hazard getting the ball more often.

Jorginho fails to show City what they're missing

It has been well documented that if Pep Guardiola had his way, Jorginho would be wearing light blue rather than royal blue this season.

Chelsea gazumped City for the Napoli midfielder's services in the summer and for the first few months of the campaign, it looked like a major coup.

Jorginho has struggled of late though and this evening was no different as the visitors negated him with ease.

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He got off to the worst kind of start as he gave the ball away twice in the early stages and it led to City getting a shot on goal.

In fairness, Jorginho kept trying to get in the game throughout but was starved of possession for long periods.

The 26-year-old took one for the team after the break when earning a yellow card for a cynical challenge.

But overall it's hard to see where Jorginho would fit into the Manchester City team, whereas he is first choice at Stamford Bridge.

A massive win for Sarri and Chelsea

This is exactly the medicine everyone at Chelsea needed after a difficult few weeks.

There was a real danger that the season was taking a very negative turn after two consecutive away defeats to Tottenham and Burnley.

Make no mistake, Sarri would have been under pressure if the defending champions left London with all three points too.

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Results earlier in the day had seen top four rivals Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United all win.

It was certainly not pretty, particularly in the first half anyway as the visitors dominated for long periods.

But Kante's strike before half-time galvanised them and it was a much better showing after the break both offensively and defensively.

This result sets them up for the intense Christmas period and restores some of the self-belief that has been lost.

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