Antonio Conte moulding Victor Moses into a wing back is the main reason behind Chelsea’s remarkable winning run, according to Mark Hughes, who believes the Nigerian learnt his defensive duties at Stoke.
Moses spent the 2014-15 season loan at Stoke, scoring three goals in 19 Premier League appearances from the left wing before turning down a permanent move to make an impression at Stamford Bridge.
Hughes admits he did not see Moses as a wing back but ahead of coming up against the 26-year-old insists the defensive nous he has demonstrated in a 12-game winning sequence was bred in Stoke.
“There is always an onus on my wide players to track full backs when they advance and that wasn’t something that was natural to him,” said Hughes.
“But he took it on board and understood the importance of it to the team and you can see that with his play as a wing back, he sacrifices sometimes his ability going forward – which is his strength – and is quite prepared to put a shift in going the other way. He is flourishing in that position.
“That is probably a lot to do with Victor himself, and his ambition to be a Chelsea player. He has waited a long time for an opportunity and that real drive and determination to be part of what is happening at Stamford Bridge is the real reason behind him doing so well.
“For us he only went out of the team when he had injuries. For us the most part he was keeping Marko Arnautovic out of the team because of the level of performance on the left-hand side.
“We would like to have tried to make a deal happen but he was very clear he still wanted to have a go at being a Chelsea player and credit to him.
“He was sent out on loan again (to West Ham) and that probably disappointed him but the new manager has come in, had a look at him, and thought ‘I can use his ability’.
That is what he has reacted to.
Hughes added: “Chelsea are a strong team, defensively very sound, they have a good platform to be able to allow the outstanding players at the top end of the pitch to win games for them.
“We just go with the view that at some point the run is going to change. Someone has to stop them in their tracks, it could very well be us. I think we will go with that intention to try and make that happen.”
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