Antonio Conte says players not in form will be dropped for Chelsea

Antonio Conte has warned David Luiz he faces a fight to win back his Chelsea place after the Brazil defender was dropped for the 1-0 win over Manchester United. Luiz paid the price for some sloppy performances as Blues boss Conte left him out of the squad at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The former Paris Saint Germain star, one of the key players in Chelsea's title triumph last term, watched from the stands as Andreas Christensen, Cesar Azpilicueta and Gary Cahill filled the central defensive positions for the champion. “It's very simple, the coach has to make the best decision for the team. Tonight the best decision was to play (Andreas) Christensen and have (Ethan) Ampadu on the bench,” Conte said. “I decided this way tonight, maybe I can decide a different way in the future or I can continue the same way.” Conte's decision to axe Luiz was as much a warning to the rest of the squad to improve their performances as an individual attack on the centre-back. The Italian's message was received as Chelsea gave a commanding performance to secure their third successive league win and stay within nine points of leaders Manchester City. (Video credit: SNTV)