succumb to complacency ahead of the Premier League
leaders’ home game against Arsenal on Saturday.
Chelsea are nine points clear of second-place Tottenham
Hotspur and Arsenal, who trail their north London rivals
on goal difference, and odds-on favourites for the title.
But Conte, who won eight Serie A titles with Juventus —
five as a player and three as a coach — says there is still
a long way to go.
“Anything can happen. It’s important to keep the
antenna very high,” he told his pre-match press
conference at Chelsea’s training base in Cobham,
southwest of London, on Friday.
“If someone thinks that the league is finished, I’m not so
sure. I want to have this tension, this right tension. In
the past I fight to win the title and I know we must pay
great attention.
“There are 15 games to play and there are a lot of great
teams behind us.”
Chelsea lost 3-0 at Arsenal in late September, a game
that saw Conte switch to a 3-4-3 formation, which
prompted a run of 13 successive wins.
They have dropped points only twice in 17 league games
since the defeat at the Emirates Stadium, losing 2-0 at
Tottenham Hotspur last month and drawing 1-1 at
Liverpool on Tuesday.
But Conte says he has kept the loss at Arsenal in his
thoughts as a reminder both of how far his team have
come and how important it is they maintain their current
standards.
“This defeat seems far (away), but it’s important to
remember the defeat against Arsenal,” he said.
“It was a bad defeat, 3-0 after the first half. And in my
mind it’s present, it’s always present, this defeat.
“I hope also in the mind of my players. I think it’s
important to remember the first game against Arsenal. A
lot of things changed now. For sure we are a team. We
want to have a good game tomorrow.”
Conte was once again obliged to field questions about the
future of striker Diego Costa after reports in Spain
suggested he will leave for China at the end of the season.
The Chelsea manager expressed confidence that Costa was
in a positive frame of mind, but, perhaps tellingly,
refused to look beyond the end of the campaign.
“Every week I hear a lot of news, a lot of speculation
about Diego,” Conte said.
“I think now the most important thing is to be focused on
this championship. We are in a good position. Diego is an
important player for us, is very happy to stay for us.
“The summer is far. It’s important to think in the
present.”
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