Three talking points from Chelsea's loss to Roma

Bengaluru, November 1: Chelsea became the first English team to lose in the Champions League this season as Serie A giants Roma thrashed them 3-0 on Tuesday night.

Stephan El Shaarawy struck twice as Roma hammered a miserable Chelsea to move to the top of Group C.

The hosts started in ideal fashion as El Shaarawy lashed Edin Dzeko's perfectly weighted back-header into the top corner from 20 yards out in the very first minute of the game.

Chelsea looked dangerous on the break but could not find their way past Roma keeper Allison.

Chelsea completely lost their momentum in the second half and Diego Perotti slammed home from outside the box in the 63rd minute to extend Roma's lead to three.

Here are the talking points from the game:

Kante is the most important player of Chelsea

Chelsea have realised how important N'golo Kante is to the team in his absence from the team of late.

The French midfielder has been missed in many ways, offering plenty of energy which helps drive the Blues and keeps them on top of opponents in matches.

Without Kante, Roma had more of the ball than Chelsea would have liked, because Cesc Fabregas simply can't offer the same level of industry in the middle of the pitch.

Fabregas lost the ball in crucial positions and Roma did not fail to capitalise on them.

Stephen El Shaarawy is back to his best

Once one of the most highly-rated players in the world, Stephen El Shaarawy has had a rough career so far plagued with many injuries. However, the Italian seems to be back to his best now and he showed it in a big game like this.

The Italian wizard scored the first two goals from Roma in sensational fashion and certainly deserves the match ball. It would be no surprise if he's brought into the Italy squad and if he keeps up this form, could even appear in Russia if they make it past Sweden in the play-offs.

Conte needs to find solutions

Without Kante, the whole Chelsea side looks like a mess especially the defence. The French midfield dynamo is a workhorse who takes the pressure off the defenders and makes the team tick. Without him, the Blues have struggled to shine.

Cesar Azpilicueta looks shaky at right wing-back, with the Spaniard not well equipped for constant forays forward any more. He does have good attacking qualities with both his crossing and goal scoring impressive this season, but he works much better in the position Antonio Conte created for him last year, right of the three centre-backs.

Antonio Rudiger was at fault for El Sharaawy's second goal with a lapse in concentration, but youngster Andreas Christensen has also shown he should be starting ahead of captain Gary Cahill.

Conte does have the resource to change his system and personnel but we have to wait and see if he does it successfully or not.