Rafael Benítez says Chelsea will head to Manchester United on Sunday full of confidence as they look to take another step towards Champions League qualification.
The Blues travel to Old Trafford fresh from booking their place in the Europa League final against Benfica with a 5-2 aggregate triumph over Swiss side Basel.
Chelsea are currently third with four games left to play and Benítez, who was named as the Premier League manager of the month on Friday after guiding the Blues to three wins and a draw in April, has been impressed with his side’s new-found belief.
“When you are working with the same group of players every week the understanding between players, management and staff is better,” Benítez told Chelsea’s website. “We have a group of players with quality and we have the commitment that we saw.
“As soon as you can win some games in a row you have momentum and confidence and it is easier, so we are not doing too many things in a different way but we are more convinced that we can beat anyone. Overall it is a good period, the team has more confidence and that is the key.
“We were scoring set-piece goals, especially from corners, and we were not conceding many and it is a good balance when you have a team with players who are good in the air.
“Some things that we are trying to do in training sessions you could see make the difference in the games and we are really pleased with that.”