In Moses Chelsea have the perfect wingman

Antonio Conte’s decision to introduce Victor Moses into his Chelsea side has proved to be an inspired one. The winger was instrumental in the Blues’ 2-0 win at Southampton on Sunday evening, moving them to within a point of leaders Manchester City in the Premier League table.

Chelsea’s upturn in form since Moses has featured is no coincidence. Since the Nigerian has taken up the right wing-back berth in Conte’s new-found 3-4-3 formation, the Blues have won four from four, beating Hull, Leicester, Manchester United and Southampton, without conceding a goal.

During the Blues’ trip to St Mary’s, Gary Neville made a throwaway comment suggesting keeping clean sheets is down to mentality. Moses went some way to proving the former Manchester United right-back correct.

Conte’s pronounced actions on the sideline were matched by Moses’s determination to harry the opposition and force them to give up possession. His pace, power and pure athleticism allowed him to stride up and down the right flank and he found success against a narrow Southampton formation.

It was his clever pass behind the Saints defence which allowed Eden Hazard to open the scoring – his fifth of the season. He also tested Fraser Forster in the Southampton goal with two powerful strikes from wide positions, one with his left foot and one with his right, the former sparking panic amongst the home defence and almost leading to another Hazard goal.

But it’s Moses’s work in his own half that has impressed so much. No player on the pitch regained possession more times than the Nigerian (9), and he continually tucked in to support Cesar Azpilicueta on the right side of Conte’s back three.

The standing ovation from the Chelsea fans when replaced in the late stages of the game was a reward for his relentless hard work.

So inconsistent over the past couple of seasons, and often so erratic when powering forward, Moses is steadily settling into a tailor-made role under Conte and could very well be key to Chelsea’s Premier League title hopes come the end of the season.