Conte lavishes praise on ruthless Costa
Antonio Conte hailed a newly-focused
Diego Costa as “one of the best strikers in the world” after the
Spaniard’s match-winning strike at Middlesbrough fired Chelsea to the
top of the Premier League table.
Costa scored the only goal of the game
at the Riverside, pouncing after a first-half corner rebounded inside
the six-yard box, and now tops the Premier League goalscoring charts
with 10 goals from 12 games.
Perhaps just as significantly, he has
not been booked since the middle of September, and whereas post-match
discussions would once focus on a perceived lack of discipline and a
penchant for arguing with officials, it is now Costa’s football that is
doing the talking.
“Diego is always important, not only for
today,” said Conte. “He is our point of reference in attacking. He is
impressive in the way he is finding his goals, and it is important to
continue this way because we need his goals.
“Is he focused just on his football? It
is important to have this question. In the past, people have been asking
me about his behaviour and his reactions, but now as a striker, I think
he is one of the best in the world.
“He has to continue this way, and he is
showing his patience in the right way and is focused on helping the
team, with and without the ball.”
With Liverpool having failed to beat
Southampton on Saturday, Chelsea’s victory took them to the top of the
table for the first time under Conte’s management.
Having won their last six games without
conceding a goal, they are one point clear of both Liverpool and
Manchester City, although Conte feels it is far too early to be talking
about their title-winning credentials.
“I think that now it is difficult to
reply to this,” he said. “Only a month and a half ago, you saw Chelsea
conceded two defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal.
“After this, Chelsea were not a
favourite or a team who could fight for the title until the end. Now, it
is difficult to change that opinion completely.
“We are working well, but if you ask what is our target, I want to wait until the end of the first part of the championship.
“It’s hard to say if we’re the best side
in the country right now, but I’m pleased with the players because they
know our fans demand that we must fight until the end. I’m seeing with
my own eyes that we have special players.”
Things are about to get more difficult
for the league leaders, with next weekend’s home game with London rivals
Tottenham Hotspur preceding a trip to Manchester City.
“We’re ready to play many games in a few
days because from the start of the season, we’ve worked not only on the
tactical aspect but also the physical aspect,” said Conte.
“You need the strength to run from the start to the end with good technique and talent. If you link the two, it’s important.
“Our trust in what we’re doing and how
we are working is increasing, and now it’s important to focus on the
next game, a massive one against Tottenham.”
Having claimed recent draws against
Arsenal and City, Middlesbrough produced another spirited display
against one of the title contenders. However, for all their improved
form, Aitor Karanka’s side are just one point clear of the relegation
zone.
“Playing against a team like Chelsea, we knew it would be tough,” said the Boro head coach.
“One mistake punished us, but we have
shown we can compete against the best teams in the league. You can’t be
pleased to lose one game, but I am pleased with the attitude of the
players.”
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