Chelsea duo sign off in style as Antonio Conte focuses on Anfield

Chelsea 4 Brentford 0: As impressive as Antonio Conte’s revival of Chelsea has been, Asmir Begovic is ready to sacrifice a role in the club’s bid to complete a league and cup double in favour of regular first-team football.

Begovic was handed a rare start in Saturday’s routine FA Cup victory over Brentford but that was not enough to satisfy the highly-regarded goalkeeper who, at 29, is in his prime for his position. Like Branislav Ivanovic, who appears likely to end his nine-year association with the club before tomorrow’s transfer deadline, with Zenit St Petersburg the full-back’s most likely destination, Begovic has likely made his last appearance as a Chelsea player.

The pair leave Chelsea in a position of strength, with Conte’s side heading to Liverpool tomorrow night with an eight-point advantage at the head of the Premier League and in the last 16 of the cup. For Begovic, though, the role of bystander is not enough.