Antonio Conte Has Shown in 3 Games He Can Be Chelsea's Difference-Maker

Nobody was quite sure what to expect from Antonio Conte. Chelsea fans watched the Italian on the touchline during the summer’s European Championship, witnessing the energetic, irrepressible nature of their club’s next manager, but in terms of whether he would be a Premier League success or failure, guesswork was the only gauge.

But three games into the 2016/17 campaign, Conte appears to be the perfect match for Chelsea. The Blues have collected nine points from a possible nine and sit atop the Premier League table alongside Manchester City and Manchester United. With those two clubs meeting this weekend, the west London side have the chance to move past at least one of them.

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Indeed, the predominant narrative of the new Premier League season concerns the rivalry between the two Manchester clubs and, of course, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho. Saturday’s derby is the season's most eagerly anticipated fixture of the campaign so far, and with good reason. It should be a blockbuster.

And that suits Chelsea just fine. Conte has so far been allowed to quietly go about his work in changing the style and identity of the Stamford Bridge club, flying largely under the radar despite their position at the top of the Premier League table. They might not be dark horses for the title race like Leicester City were last season, but the Blues are certainly contenders. 

So how has he done it? How has Conte transformed Chelsea from the hot mess of a club they were last season into title challengers this season? It’s a change made all the more remarkable by the fact that the Italian failed to sign his top targets in the transfer market over the summer. Any progress has been achieved with players left for him by the previous regime.

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"At the beginning, it was a bit scary because he works players initially," Oscar told Sky Sports (via Omnisport, h/t Aol.com), shedding some light on the methods and practices of Conte. "But when you look at the results on the pitch, you know he's done it for a reason. It's good for me.”

It certainly has been good for the Brazilian playmaker. He is just one of several Chelsea players who look re-energised under the Italian’s tutelage this year, picking up where he left off at the end of the 2014/15 title-winning season. The mark of a great coach is making the most of what you have, and Conte is doing that at Stamford Bridge.

But perhaps the player who looks to have improved to the greatest extent under Conte is Eden Hazard. The Belgium international was a shadow of his former self last season, with some Chelsea fans even discussing whether the club would be best served cutting their losses while the attacker still held his value. Now, however, he is the Blues’ on-field star once again.

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Diego Costa also looks to have found his groove again, with the Brazil-born striker once more focused on scoring goals rather than starting fights.

But the primary success of Conte’s first few weeks and months at Chelsea can be found in his organisation of his new team, rather than the individual brilliance he has helped spark.

Gary Cahill discussed Chelsea's transformation under Conte with BBC Radio 5 live (h/t Paul McNamara of MailOnline):

"

We needed organisation. Everyone saw what happened. We went from winning the league, having stayed at the top all year, to the disaster of last season. We lost our way tactically, everyone's head was in different directions.

When I say about pulling together as a team, I felt everyone had different situations going on individually—whether that be if you're playing or not, the manager, or this or that. Different distractions are never healthy. ...

You always have the quality and ability. It's the mindset, everyone being fully focused on what they're doing, no distractions.

"

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There are similarities to be found in the characters of both Mourinho and Conte. Both men demand loyalty and commitment from their players, basing their style of play on defensive organisation and building from the back. The two coaches are also considered headline acts in their own right, providing a spectacle on the touchline and through the media.

But while Mourinho forged a siege mentality among his players in his two stints as Chelsea boss, Conte seems intent on shielding his players from everything that could distract them outside the club. That is a significant change in tact at Stamford Bridge this season.

Conte has reminded us all just how good Chelsea’s expensive squad of players can be. Just because they crashed and burned last season doesn’t mean the likes of Costa, Hazard, Oscar and more are worthless. The progress the Italian coach has made has come in the mind of his players as much as anywhere else.

"He's tried to give us confidence," Hazard told Chelsea TV (via the Press Association, h/t MailOnline). "He knows players because he used to be one.”

Indeed, Conte is a players’ coach, and it’s already apparent that Chelsea’s players are playing for their new manager. An inherent link between Conte and his squad has already been established, demonstrated by the reaction to every win they have earned so far this season.

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It could prove to be the case that Chelsea fall short in their pursuit of the Premier League title, with City and United both boasting deeper and stronger squads. But if that materialises, it won’t be because the Blues have fallen short in the coaching department. Conte is good enough to hold his own against the best, even Guardiola and Mourinho. He has proved that so far.

Realistically, this season might ultimately become a platform for Chelsea to build upon going forward. The club’s struggle to bring in the targets Conte wanted over the summer might eventually have an impact, with the deadline-day signing of David Luiz one of the most panicked panic buys in transfer-market history. City and United have stronger spines throughout their respective teams.

But Conte has already succeeded in changing the spirit and mindset at Chelsea in a short span of time. That was his biggest task upon taking charge at Stamford Bridge. Everything else should now fall into place, even if that doesn’t happen this season.