Winning Premier League title in first season with Chelsea would be my best achievement says Antonio Conte

The Blues lead Tottenham by four points ahead of a midweek round of fixtures that sees them host Southampton 24 hours before Mauricio Pochettino's men travel to Crystal Palace

Ben Burrows
Tuesday 25 April 2017 07:48 BST
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Antonio Conte has Chelsea on the verge of the Premier League title
Antonio Conte has Chelsea on the verge of the Premier League title (Getty)

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Antonio Conte believes winning the Premier League title with Chelsea would be the biggest achievement of his managerial career.

The Blues lead nearest rivals Tottenham by four points ahead of a midweek round of fixtures that sees them host Southampton at Stamford Bridge 24 hours before Mauricio Pochettino's men travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace.

Despite a recent wobble including the defeat at Manchester United the psychological advantage is back with Conte's side after defeating Spurs 4-2 at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-finals last weekend.

And asked if clinching the Premier League would be his best achievement Conte, a three-time Serie A winner, said: "Yes, for sure. For me, for the players, for the club. To win the title in England is a great achievement. To win in England these days is not easy.

"Now it's a good season. To become a great or fantastic season there is only one way: to try to win."

Conte made a veiled criticism of Manchester United and Manchester City on Monday, saying spending money does not guarantee success as both face a battle to finish in the top four.

Jose Mourinho's United bought Paul Pogba for a world record fee of £89million and Pep Guardiola's City made big outlays on players including £50m defender John Stones.

Chelsea were third in Premier League spending last summer but will point to their significantly smaller net spend, given they received big fees for players including £60m for Oscar in the last 12 months.

"This season it's very important to understand that it's not always about who spends more money who wins," Conte added.

"This season isn't the only season both Manchester clubs have spent a lot of money. Look at the past."

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