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Antonio Conte appears to be on borrowed time at Chelsea.
Conte has come under pressure following two embarrassing defeats in less than a week. Chelsea suffered a 3-0 loss at home to Bournemouth, and they followed that up with a 4-1 defeat away to Watford on Monday. They play West Brom on Monday in the Premier League, before an FA Cup game against Hull City and the first-leg of a Champions League tie with Barcelona. The former Juventus coach has also challenged Chelsea on their transfer dealings in public, and has cut a frustrated figure this season.
February could be a pivotal month for Conte and the club, and few would be surprised if he departs before the summer, less than a year after guiding Chelsea to the Premier League title.
Defending In Numbers is a new Deezer Originals football podcast. Listen to the latest episode and subscribe to the podcast on Deezer and iTunes.”
The Defending in Numbers podcast highlighted some interesting statistics on this week’s show about Conte and Chelsea. The statistics convey that the Italian is almost certain to leave the club, but also that Chelsea would probably be making a mistake in letting him go.
Nic English, Joel Rabinowitz and host Rob Armstrong began by speaking about the average number of games permanent Chelsea managers take charge of under Roman Abramovich, which is just 83. Unfortunately for Conte, the defeat to Watford was 88th match in charge of the team, suggesting that he has already outstayed his welcome at Stamford Bridge.
“I think it’s a matter of time (before he’s sacked) at this point,” Joel said.
“I’d be surprised if he was sacked within the next couple of games, they’ll probably give him until the summer and look at their options then. It’s been quite a long time coming, he’s been making noises, even last season there was the breakdown of his relationship with Diego Costa. He’s been making sounds that he’s not too happy with the board, the players he’s been signing and the resources he’s been given. “
Chelsea have won just two of their 10 games in 2018, (three if you include the FA Cup penalty shootout win over Norwich), and are currently in fourth place, 19 points behind Manchester City and just a point ahead of fifth-place Tottenham. The Defending in Numbers podcast are unsure if Chelsea will finish in the top four this season, regardless of whether Conte stays or leaves.
“A lot of the focus this season in terms of the top four is on whether Spurs or Liverpool will break in. But I don’t think it’s beyond the realms of possibility that Chelsea could drop out, and Spurs and Liverpool get in,” Joel said.
However, one statistic suggests that Chelsea would be unwise to dismiss their manager. Conte’s win percentage is 70.3%, which is the joint best ever Premier League win percentage for a manager, level with Pep Guardiola.
