Alan Pardew Singles Out Blues Midfielder For Praise Despite Defeat

Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew has hailed N’Golo Kante after his side defeat to Chelsea at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

The Blues cruised to their 11th straight win in the league after Diego Costa’s header in the first half gave the visitors a slim victory over Palace and Alan Pardew has singled out Kante for praise in the game.

Pardew told Sky Sports: ‘Kante in the midfield, he’s just such energy he had at Leicester last year, he’s bought that here,’ ‘He fills a lot of holes that go unnoticed.’

The 25-year-old French midfielder has continued to impress for Chelsea since he joined in the summer transfer window and continue to have decent stats in Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 formation.

In related news, Diego Costa has overshadowed Didier Drogba’s 50-goal record at Chelsea after the Spain international spent less time scoring 50 goals. It took Drogba 112 games to reach the milestone while Costa reached it in 97 games.

The 27-year-old striker was at the heart of things as the Blues continue to remain at the top of the Premier League table.

The duo of Kante and Costa are set to miss their next Premier League match against Bournemouth on Boxing Day, leaving Antonio Conte with a headache in selection.