Fixtures give Spurs an advantage – Conte

Antonio Conte says Chelsea‘s fixture pile-up has given Tottenham an unfair advantage in the title race.

The Blues play Southampton at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, just over 72 hours after beating Spurs in an intense and energy sapping FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

Chelsea’s nearest title challengers are away against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, with the Eagles having also played just over 72 hours previously – against Liverpool at Anfield.

Chelsea have a four-point lead over Spurs with six games remaining, but Blues boss Conte says the title battle is “50-50” because of the way the fixtures pan out.

The Italian said: “This week is crucial because they have an advantage and we have to play after two days. They have to play against Crystal Palace, who also have to play on Sunday.

“Tottenham also have one more day to rest and we play a team against a team that has 10 days to rest.

“Sometimes it is very difficult to understand, but we have to try to answer on the pitch.

“It is not easy to understand. At the start of the season you must try to have a balance and put both teams in the same position to fight. But we need to make the best answer on the pitch.”