After Chelsea maintained a seven-point advantage at the top of the Premier League table with a 3-1 win over Bournemouth, Antonio Conte hailed the great character his side has shown throughout the 2016/17 campaign.
Tottenham reduced the deficit to four points with a Saturday lunchtime victory against Watford, but the Blues produced an entertaining display at the Vitality Stadium to keep the same margin between us and our London rivals.
‘We have shown great character all season and great desire and will to fight for the title,’ said Conte. ‘We started this season and nobody thought Chelsea could fight for the title. Instead, we found the right motivation together.’
There will be a similar scenario over Easter weekend, with Tottenham hosting Bournemouth at White Hart Lane on Saturday, before we travel to face Manchester United on Sunday, and Conte knows there is a good chance our lead will have been reduced again before we take to the pitch at Old Trafford.
‘Probably we can find the same situation this week, because Tottenham play at home against Bournemouth, but in England easy games don’t exist,’ explained the Italian. ‘Bournemouth are a really good team, but if you compare these two games, we face United away and Tottenham will face Bournemouth at home, I think at this stage it is easier for Tottenham to think about points on the table.
‘We have to think game by game and we know our schedule is not easy, but we want to play game by game and we will now prepare in the right way for United. I think we are having a good season, but we want it to become a great season.’
The Blues have already faced the Red Devils twice at Stamford Bridge this term, beating them 4-0 in the Premier League in October, before our FA Cup quarter-final victory last month. Conte says the players are fully aware of the need to keep their emotions in check, as they are in every game, and insists we will be going for all three points on Sunday.
‘For us it is very important to always control our emotion because we are fighting to win the title and, for sure, this game will be tough, but we are ready to play it.
‘I think Manchester United will have good motivation because they are playing against Chelsea and Chelsea is on top of the table and every team wants to beat us.
‘It is important in every game to try to get three points and, for sure, we know this game will be very tough, but we are in good form, the players have the right confidence and we want to try to win, but in the same way that United will try to win.’
Our second goal in Saturday’s win was finished superbly by Eden Hazard after a sublime throughball from N’Golo Kante. Both players have deservedly been winning a huge number of plaudits this term, and the goal encapsulated the work Conte and his coaches have done ever since arriving to try and improve every player in the squad.
‘The second goal, it was a good pass,’ he said. ‘I think N’Golo has to improve in this situation. If he is able to, he is a top, top player. We work with all the players to improve them and to try to work on their strengths and also to work on their weaknesses.
‘I’m happy for Eden, he scored a good goal, but also he is doing a good job and good work in the game. He is a great player, a great talent and he must understand he is a great player and never forget this.
‘I think that every coach, their function is not only to win. A good coach tries to improve his players and also tries to find the right way to work with them to improve all tactical and physical aspects and to show them the situations that they can improve.’
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