City clash will be Chelsea’s big test – Conte

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has admitted Saturday’s game at Manchester City will be the biggest examination of how far his team has progressed in recent weeks.

Seven consecutive Premier League victories, their best run since 2010, has seen the Blues climb to the top of the Premier League table.

However, they have won only once in their last eight visits to the City of Manchester Stadium and have not scored there since Branislav Ivanovic’s winner in February 2014.

Conte said: “Tomorrow is a great test for us, for our formation, to continue this way [of winning].

“We know that it won’t be easy, because we face a really great team, with great players, with a good idea of football and great organisation.

“Also, we want to show that we are working very well and we are growing. I think that tomorrow is another step to show us if something has changed compared to the start of the season.

“For sure, it is a big game. But this season we played also big games against Arsenal, Liverpool, United, Tottenham – in this league every game is a big game.”

Conte, who says he will assess the fitness of one or two players prior to naming his team, admitted he and City boss Pep Guardiola had different footballing philosophies.

“Every team has their own characteristics and their own idea of football,” the Italian said.

“All of Guardiola’s teams like to have possession for many minutes and to find penetration between the lines, or to find one-v-one on the flank.

“I’m more straight towards the goal and [with] less possession. But there are a lot of ways to reach the win – for this reason I always have great respect for every idea of different managers.”