Chelsea are flying high at the top of the Premier League following their record 12th consecutive Premier League victory.

The Blues sailed past Bournemouth 3-0 at the Bridge thanks to goals from in-form Spaniard Pedro either a side of a second-half Eden Hazard penalty. The victory took Chelsea seven points clear ahead of nearest rivals Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.

Antonio Conte's side are a far cry from the Chelsea of last year under both the sacked Jose Mourinho and temporary boss Guus Hiddink, as the Blues finished 10th in what was their worst ever top flight season under Roman Abramovich's ownership.

While things may now appear all fine and dandy on the surface, there are still a few problems the former Italy and Juventus boss must solve if his side are to go on to raise the title once again.

Here are the three problems that Chelsea need to address this January ...

Back-up Striker

Diego Costa is on fire, there is no doubt about it. The brutish Spaniard is currently the league's top scorer with 13 and also has five assists to his name, being at the epicentre of everything Chelsea have done well going forward so far this season. However, its unlikely their main target man will stay fit - or even less likely, not suspended - throughout the year, so the Blues need to find themselves a man who can bag goals in his absence.

Despite Costa being suspended against Bournemouth, manager Antonio Conte still decided to leave young Belgian Michy Batshuayi on the substitutes bench, instead opting for a front three of Willian, Pedro and Eden Hazard. While it worked that day, playing without a recognised centre-forward isn't sustainable long-term. Chelsea either need to give their young striker the opportunity to step-up or invest in a suitable alternative during the January transfer window.

The future of Cesc

Are Chelsea better with him or without him? Nobody, including the manager himself, seems to be able to make their minds up. One minute the former Arsenal midfielder is being tipped to leave, the next he is starting and providing assists left, right and centre.

Amid all the speculation, however, one thing is true: Chelsea fans adore him. The creativity the Spaniard brings to the Blues midfield when playing alongside N'Golo Kante is unrivalled within Conte's ranks, adding spark and a range of passing that no-one else can.

It's only fair on the player himself, and indeed the fans, to ascertain where he lies in the club's plans. That could mean a January departure.

Where's the Youth?

You can't really fault Antonio Conte; who would change a winning side? Especially when they've just got twelve wins on the bounce. Likewise, the Italian has certainly let young players have their opportunities infinitely more than when Jose Mourinho was in charge, but Chelsea still need to do more.

The Blues are fortunate enough to have one of the best academy and youth teams in the whole of Europe, so giving their youth a chance to shine instead of loaning them out and selling them is important for the club going forward.

That being said, without Champions League or League Cup football, Conte must make a decision on playing time for the likes of Ola Aina, Nathaniel Chalobah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Dominic Solanke as we enter the business end of the season. If they're not going to feature, they need to gain more experience with other Premier League clubs.