Chelsea cruised into a solid 0-1 away win from Middlesbrough today, guiding the Blues into a leading position – to the top of the Premier League table.
Antonio Conte, who last summer took charge of a worn out Chelsea side which finished tenth in the league in the previous campaign, has now found the right momentum with his new team, winning six games straight without conceding a single goal.
The Italian was delighted after the most recent victory, which really looked like a battle that could’ve gone either way.
I told the players we must start well after the international break and I think we had the right concentration to win a tough game. I knew this game would be difficult because this team is well organised and they are in good form. But we deserved to win because we scored the goal and created many chances for a second goal.
The first five minutes wasn’t good for us. Middlesbrough started very well and we started badly but during the game our possession got better and we started to move the ball quicker. Also we didn’t concede and stopped any opportunity for them to score.
The league doesn’t finish today but it’s the first time we have lead this season. It’s not going to be easy but we must be happy for our hard work and commitment. Now I will tell our team we have work to do.
– Antonio Conte, BBC Sport
The ex-Juventus and Italy manager previously stated how winning the title is not a sprint, but a marathon. If we can can keep up their form until the end of the season, it’ll be difficult for the rest of the teams to compete with us.
Chelsea will face two title contenders, London rivals Tottenham next Saturday and Manchester City the week after, so if there hasn’t been a real test for Conte and the Blues this season, this is it. We march on!
