5 Chelsea players who have taken their game forward under Maurizio Sarri

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In one of the popular managerial shifts that occurred during the summer, former Napoli head coach, Maurizio Sarri was lured to the Stamford Bridge to take charge of Chelsea, following the sacking of fellow Italian tactician, Antonio Conte.

It is just about 5 weeks into the season and the change has started paying off, with the Italian leading Chelsea to earn victories in 5 of their 6 Premier League games so far, scoring a whopping 14 goals in the process and establishing the Blues in the top-3 zone of the Premier League table. He has also earned a decent start to his Europa League campaign, defeating Greek outfit PAOK Thessaloniki 1-0 in their opening fixture – thanks to a brilliant goal from Willian.

Change is evident under Sarri, with the manager having introduced a pro-attacking and possession-based style of play at Stamford Bridge which has helped him to get the best out of his players. All his superstars are now awake, firing on all cylinders and ready to put up a fight for everything this season.

Below, we take a look at 5 Chelsea players who have taken their game forward under the tactician so far this term:

#5 Marcos Alonso

Spanish International Marcos Alonso is one of the Chelsea superstars that have earned a decent start to life under Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge this season.

The 27-year-old has firmly established himself under the Italian, producing a couple brilliant performances and earning a lot of plaudits for his incredible displays. So far, he has featured in all of Chelsea’s Premier League games this season and he also earned a call-up to represent the Spanish national team recently.

Alonso has been really effective with Sarri’s style, helping in building up plays from the back, holding possession as well as bursting down the left flank to support attacks at opportune moments.

#4 Ngolo Kante

Following a brilliant FIFA World Cup campaign in which Ngolo Kante helped his nation to claim the prestigious trophy in Russia, the Frenchman has come back to club level in great form, quickly establishing himself as a vital cog in Maurizio Sarri’s squad at Chelsea.

Kante has been a great influence in the middle of the pitch ever since the season began, using his incredible physicality and amazing work-rate to provide balance and composure as well as adding rigidity and compactness to Chelsea’s midfield.

The French International has been given an extra responsibility to contribute more offensively and he has impressed with the role so far, helping to fetch the ball from deep and taking it into attacking zones. He has recorded 7 appearances under Sarri this season and he remains one of the most influential figures in the squad at the moment.

#3 David Luiz

After a turbulent stint under former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, Brazilian superstar David Luiz finally feels at home at Stamford Bridge, having struck a perfect chemistry with Maurizio Sarri and becoming a vital figure in the Italian’s squad in the English capital.

Luiz has been one of the stand-out performers at Chelsea this season, producing a number of impressive displays and earning a massive 7 appearances for The Blues in all competitions so far.

With his incredible physicality, amazing rigidity and incredible confidence on the ball, the 31-year-old has earned his spot at the heart of the defence, helping in starting plays from the back, making vital clearances and dealing with aerial threats.

#2 Pedro

Former Barcelona winger Pedro Rodriguez is also one of the few Chelsea superstars that have taken their games to new heights following the sacking of Antonio Conte and the appointment of Maurizio Sarri this summer.

Having bagged an impressive 3 goals for The Blues in 5 Premier League appearances this season, the attacker has earned a decent start to life under the Italian, using his incredible pace and amazing movement to torment opposition defenders in the English top flight.

Occupying the right flank of Chelsea’s attack, Pedro has been a great joy to watch this season combining his brilliant link-up and fantastic positioning to improve team play as well as pushing to attack at every opportune moment.

#1 Eden Hazard

A managerial change was all Belgian International Eden Hazard needed in order to take his Chelsea career forward, with the playmaker raising his game to an extraordinary height following the appointment of Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge this summer.

Hazard has earned a brilliant start to life under the Italian, putting up a couple of extraordinary performances that have earned him a lot of attention from football fans across the globe. The attacker has entered the new Premier League campaign in blistering form, notching an impressive 5 goals and 2 in 6 appearances so far as well as helping The Blues to emerge victorious in 5 of their 6 matches as they aim to challenge the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool to the ultimate prize this season.

Having struck a perfect chemistry with Maurizio Sarri at Staford Bridge, Hazard is well poised to achieve greater things in his career this season. And with his impressive performances at the moment, The Blues will be happy they kept their star player from Real Madrid’s advances during the summer transfer window.