Antonio Conte pinpoints Arsenal clash as turning point for Chelsea

Antonio Conte has revealed that his change in system for the closing stages of Chelsea’s 3-0 loss to Arsenal marked the turning point for his side.

The Blues made something of a stuttering start to life under their new manager after they suffered back to back defeats at the hands of Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League.

The west London side have been in fine form since then, however, having thrashed the likes of Manchester United and Everton to move to within one point of Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Conte has been credited with sparking Chelsea’s upturn in form by switching to a formation with three at the back.

And the Chelsea boss has revealed how he considers the 3-0 defeat by Arsenal at The Emirates to be the key turning point for his side this season.

Speaking in an interview with Chelsea’s website, Conte said: “The first time I changed to this system was against Arsenal for the last 25 minutes, and then we continued with this idea of football.

“For sure in this month we have developed, we have worked a lot on this system, and for sure I have to say thanks to my players because they had the right concentration, the right attitude, the right will to stay more than before in the training sessions and now it is easier than one month ago.

“But we know we can improve a lot on different aspects – the pressure on the ball, quickly being more compact – for sure we have to improve.”

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Chelsea take on Middlesbrough in their next Premier League game after the international break.