Chelsea will top the Premier League at the start of 2017 regardless of their result against Stoke on Saturday.

Antonio Conte’s side have been in scintillating form since the Italian implemented a back three, and have won 12 Premier League games on the spin since their 3-0 defeat at Arsenal on September 24.

In that time they have gone from eight points behind leaders Manchester City to six points clear at the top, and they know that they will be top of the table when they travel to Tottenham on January 4 regardless of Saturday’s results.

The Blues have won 15 of their 18 Premier League games this season, which includes impressive victories over Manchester United, Tottenham, and Manchester City, as well as important 1-0 successes over West Brom, Sunderland, and Crystal Palace.

It means that Conte’s side will be the team to beat in 2017, which is in stark contrast to this time last year, where they were 14th in the table and just three points clear of the bottom three.

In what has been an improving year for Chelsea, we thought we’d take a look back and review their 2016, and thus have selected their THREE most improved players from the year…

David Luiz

He may not have been at Chelsea all year, but David Luiz looks like a completely different player to the one that left Stamford Bridge back in 2014.

The Brazilian international was never renowned for his defensive ability, and was actually often criticised for his ill-discipline when playing at the back, but there were signs that he was beginning to improve defensively at Paris Saint-Germain at the start of the year.

And, since coming back to West London, Luiz has become the most important defender in the Chelsea side.

His role in the middle of the back three is integral in keeping the defence solid and organised, and the 29-year-old now looks like a proper Premier League defender.

Conte has placed great responsibility on the Brazilian, and he has improved wholesome under the Italian’s influence.

Victor Moses

Not many people would have had Victor Moses as a key part of Conte’s plans when the Italian arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer, but he is exactly that.

The Nigerian international was actually out on loan at West Ham at the start of 2016, but never really showed enough form to suggest that he would go back to Chelsea at the start of this season and push for a first team spot.

However, Conte has placed his faith in the 26-year-old in the right wing-back role, and he has duly delivered, netting three goals and laying on one assist in 17 Premier League appearances.

Moses has started the last 12 Chelsea league games, all of which they have won – his improvement has been seismic this year, and he’ll be an integral part of the side in 2017 as well.

Eden Hazard

It’s difficult to suggest that Eden Hazard has improved in 2016 given his efforts in Chelsea’s title-winning campaign of 2014/15, but he had quite a rotten 2015, and is now back at his best.

Arguably, the Belgian international is playing better than ever before.

The 25-year-old netted just nine times in 2015, and didn’t score at all in the first half of the 2015/16 campaign, with his first goal of last season coming in the Blues’ 5-1 win over MK Dons on January 31.

It kick-started what has been a great year for Hazard, who has scored 15 times in 37 appearances for Chelsea, and has also chipped in with a couple of assists.

However, it has been his sensational form under Conte this season that has really caught the eye, and he looks to be taking his game to new levels ahead of 2017.