Does Chelsea have any weak areas in their team?

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is expected to strengthen his squad in January

Chelsea’s recent run of good form has led to the Blues recording eight consecutive victories in the Premier League.

The good run has also seen the Blues rise to the top of the table and Antonio Conte’s team are three points clear of second place Arsenal.

Despite the Blues current good run of form, there is still rumours and speculation about Conte strengthening his squad in January.

Here we look at what areas of the team the Italian may be looking to strengthen.

Centre-back

Chelsea have been superb at the back in recent games, keeping six clean sheets in their last eight top-flight games. Question marks over the signing of maverick Brazilian marauding defender David Luiz have been blown away.

The former PSG star has produced some very impressive performances for the Blues, even looking like a solid defender at times. One of the reasons for Luiz’s good performances is the fact that Chelsea have switched to three at the back, with French defensive midfielder N’Golo Kante patrolling in front of the defence.

The players who have played alongside Luiz in central defensive in the last eight games are Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta. Despite those clean sheets, Conte may have reluctantly chosen those three players.

Azpilicueta is a very good defender. However, he is a full-back by trade. He has done a very good filling in at centre-back, just like he does in any role, but is he really going to play the role in the long-term?

It looks unlikely and is probably the reason the Blues have been linked with a move for a centre-back in January. Cahill is a decent defender, but is definitely not a top-bracket centre-back, as he has shown at times in his Blues career.

Young French Kurt Zouma may also come into the equation now that he has returned from long-term injury. However, he will take some time to return to full match fitness and Conte may be tempted to make a move for a centre-back in January.

Wing-backs

The wing-backs are so vital in Chelsea’s system, both defending and going forward. Winger Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso did not seem like the ideal pair for the job when selected, but both have been highly impressive in the wing-back roles.

Alonso arrived as a high profile signing, a former Bolton loanee who was not a star name. Despite that he has been mighty impressive for the Blues. The Spaniard may not have been a star name, but he is certainly highly regarded now.

Arguably the biggest improvement of any Premier League player this season has been that of Victor Moses. The Nigerian international had struggled for first-team games at Chelsea, before being loaned out.

Conte has fielded him as a right wing-back and it has paid dividends. Recent reports have even suggested that Spanish champions Barcelona are looking at signing the former Crystal Palace man in January.

The pair are the first-choice wing-backs and look unlikely to be ousted anytime soon. However, there are few other players at the club who can play in the wing-back roles. Maybe Conte needs to find a back-up for the pair in January.

Striker

This may seem like a strange one considering that Chelsea play with one central striker in Diego Costa. The Spaniard is the joint-top scorer in the Premier League with 11 goals this season and in red hot form.

However, Costa seems to be a man that likes to live life dangerously. The former Atletico Madrid striker is one game away from a suspension. One game without Costa would not be terrible for the Blues. However, if he sustained a long-term injury then they could struggle.

Costa’s backup big money signing Michy Batshuayi has struggled to make an impact because of Costa’s presence. The Belgian striker is highly-rated but is himself being linked with a move elsewhere in January. Maybe Conte will be thinking about strengthening his attacking options, but it will not be seen as an urgent need.

Chelsea are strong throughout

In truth, Chelsea appear to have very few weaknesses at the moment. At the start of the campaign the Blues were not considered favourites for the titles. However, they are now at odds of 6/5.

Antonio Conte is a very shrewd boss and will know where his side’s vulnerabilities lie. I am sure he will be backed in the transfer market to put right any wrongs in his squad or team in the near future. We are still very early in the campaign, but Chelsea are looking strong.

If Conte strengthens in the January transfer window then they are only likely to get stronger in the second half of the campaign.

Does Chelsea have any weak areas in their team?