Victor
Moses was a Premier League nomad who hadn't played for Chelsea in three
years. Now he's a key player attracting interest from Barcelona. Ahead of
Saturday's clash with Manchester City, Nick Wright examines his
extraordinary transformation under Antonio Conte…
There were plenty of questions for Antonio Conte when he arrived at Chelsea.
Was there a place in his plans for John Terry? Could he revive Eden Hazard?
And what of the disillusioned Diego Costa? The new head coach had big issues
to address, but there was little interest in what might be next for Victor
Moses.
The Nigeria international had become a forgotten man at Chelsea since his
£9m arrival from Wigan in 2012. His first season at Stamford Bridge yielded
10 goals in 43 appearances, but Jose Mourinho took a different view to his
predecessors Roberto Di Matteo and Rafael Benitez. For Moses, his
appointment changed everything.
The next three years were spent on loan at Liverpool, Stoke City and West
Ham. It was an unsettling period by anyone's standards, and there was little
evidence in his most recent spell away from Stamford Bridge to suggest his
fortunes were about to change. In fact, the Hammers had just passed up the
opportunity to make his move permanent.
It seemed his Chelsea career was heading in the same direction, but Conte
decided otherwise. Moses impressed in pre-season and made his first
competitive appearance for the club since May 2013 when he came off the
bench against West Ham in August. In the last few months, the winger has
been reinvented as a wing-back on the right of Conte's 3-4-3 formation.
It has been a triumph. Moses has been practically ever-present in the
seven-game winning streak which has propelled Chelsea to the top of the
table, and behind Costa and Hazard, he has arguably been their most
important player. His winner against Tottenham was his third goal of the
campaign, and Conte is baffled as to why he was overlooked for so long.
"I recognised his potential right from day one of pre-season," he said last
week. "Moses has great quality, technique, physical strength and the ability
to cover 70 metres of the pitch. I find it incredible that somebody like him
could have been underrated."
Those qualities were evident for his goal against Spurs. Moses covered
almost the length of the pitch to meet Diego Costa's cut-back, ghosting into
the box and hitting a first-time shot that had too much power for a
combination of Hugo Lloris and Jan Vertonghen on the goal-line. It was the
highlight of a man-of-the-match display.
Moses burst onto the scene as a powerful, unpredictable attacker in his
younger days at Crystal Palace and Wigan, and his offensive prowess has
become a major weapon in his new role at Chelsea. Moses looked dangerous
every time he carried the ball forward against Spurs. His directness has
been similarly effective in each of his Premier League starts.
Chelsea's top dribblers
Rank Player
Successful dribbles per 90 mins
1st Eden Hazard
4.5
2nd Willian
3.0
3rd Victor Moses
2.7
4th Pedro
2.2
5th Diego Costa
2.0
Moses ranks third for successful dribbles at Chelsea behind Hazard and
Willian this season, and he is also averaging over two shots per 90 minutes.
It's not bad for a wing-back, and, with most of Chelsea's attacking play
directed down the flanks, it's exactly what Conte's system demands. Only
Costa and Hazard have taken more touches in the opposition box.
Most touches in opposition box
Rank Player
Touches in opposition box
1st Diego Costa
97
2nd Eden Hazard
65
3rd Victor Moses
37
4th Pedro
32
5th Nemanja Matic
28
But considering he had no experience of the position as recently as two
months ago, Moses' defensive contribution is even more impressive than his
attacking influence. The 25-year-old has already learned to strike the right
balance. He tracks back diligently when Chelsea are under pressure, and his
disciplined positioning has helped them keep six clean sheets in their last
seven games.
Chelsea look a different side from last season, and Moses' emergence is
perhaps the best exponent of Conte's transformative impact at Stamford
Bridge. The Italian's animated demeanour on the touchline may not be to
everybody's liking, but his hands-on coaching style has benefited Moses
immeasurably.
"I have just got to listen to what the manager asks me to do in that
position, and the way he wants me to do it," he said last month.
"Defensively, we all work as a unit in training. Every day the manager is on
top of us to make sure we are solid. He's also very helpful on the
touchline. He talks to you to make sure you're in the right position."
Moses receives additional advice from Cesar Azpilicueta and N'Golo Kante on
the pitch, but it's Conte who has infused him with confidence. It's Conte
who has encouraged him to express himself. And it's Conte who has struck
upon a system that suits him so well.
It's little wonder Moses is in line for a new contract. He was a Premier
League nomad with an uncertain future when Conte took over, but he goes into
Chelsea's biggest game of the season as a fundamental member of the team. if
his recent trajectory is anything to go by, he will rise to the occasion
again.
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