Antonio Conte fires message at Alvaro Morata after Chelsea FC’s win over Palace
Antonio Conte explains his decision to start Olivier Giroud ahead of Alvaro Morata in Chelsea FC's win over Palace
Antonio Conte has insisted that his decision to start Alvaro Morata from the bench in Chelsea FC’s win over Crystal Palace on Saturday was simply a tactical one.
The Chelsea FC boss opted to start Olivier Giroud up front to lead the line for the west London side as the Blues finally returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over the Eagles at Stamford Bridge.
Morata, who has been struggling with form and fitness in recent weeks, came on for the final 18 minutes and managed to pick up a booking during the game.
It is fair to say that the Spanish striker is struggling for form in front of goal at the moment, with the 25-year-old having failed to score in more than 10 appearances for the west London club.
Conte was quizzed about his decision to start Giroud ahead of Morata on Saturday and the Chelsea FC boss insisted that the move was purely a tactical one.
Speaking to BT Sport before the game, Conte said: “I have to try to find the best solution to understand the characteristics of our opponents.
“We have to play three games in only seven days in three different competitions and for this reason I thought that today the best choice was to start with Giroud up front.”
Conte now turns his attentions towards preparing his Chelsea FC side for their crunch clash against FC Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The Blues played out a 1-1 draw with the Spanish side in the first leg at Stamford Bridge.
