Antonio Conte hailed his players for the desire they showed during their 1-0 win against Manchester United.
Alvaro Morata’s second-half header gave Chelsea deserved victory at Stamford Bridge, where N’Golo Kante returned to action following a hamstring problem.
Asked what pleased him most about the display, Blues boss Conte said: “For sure we must be pleased with the performance of the team. I think we played with great energy, great passion and great enthusiasm.
“Tonight I saw a lot of positive things – the desire of my players and the will to help each other. When we play in this way I think it’s great.”
Conte dropped David Luiz from the squad and denied falling out with the Brazilian, insisting the decision was purely tactical.
He opted to select Andreas Christensen, who had an impressive game at the heart of the Chelsea defence.
And after a troubled spell for the champions, Conte believes a victory over one of their title rivals can give them an important boost to their confidence.
He explained: “Last season we won the title and showed always a fantastic spirit and enthusiasm.
“This season, for many reasons, we have started with a lot of problems and when you have a lot of problems your confidence can go down.
“I think to win this type of massive game against Manchester United gives you more confidence.”
This post was last modified on 05/11/2017