Photo: Laurence Griffiths

With the game nearing its end against Stoke City on Saturday, Chelsea coach switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation and replaced Victor Moses and Nemanja Matic with Cesc Fabregas and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Chelsea won the game via a late Gary Cahill goal and former Blue Pat Nevin reveals how impressed he was with Conte’s tactics.

He wrote in his column in the official Chelsea website: “This weekend was interesting for a number of reasons. Once more Chelsea were well on top away from home but Antonio really made a play for the three points when many would have settled for one. Stoke’s is the ground and team that are held to be the toughest, physically at least, in the league, but chasing three points from within an ordered structure was still considered worth it.

“There was a level of risk, but it was limited and calculated. Bringing on the creativity of Cesc and Ruben Loftus-Cheek for Victor Moses and Nemanja Matic was definitely positive, but the back line was still steady and the little move from three to four at the back was pretty seamless.

“There was something else worth considering; it was one centre-back to another for the winning goal so the back line got the headlines for once. Getting the winning goal against Stoke City from a corner probably deserves an extra point. Then again Gary Cahill has already scored from a header against them this season, so maybe he just knows something everyone else doesn’t.”