Antonio Conte defends Chelsea record against Jose Mourinho's history-making achievements

Both men won the Premier League in their first season in charge, but after 100 games Conte has notched up 65 wins to Mourinho's 72

Antonio Conte admitted he could have done better during his century of games (Getty)

Antonio Conte insists his record during his first 100 games in charge of Chelsea compares favourably with that of Jose Mourinho, despite the Portuguese overseeing more victories.

Conte reached his landmark game at Burnley on Thursday when victory meant he had recorded 65 wins since taking charge at Stamford Bridge while Mourinho, who first arrived at the club in 2004, claimed 72 wins over the same period, a club record.

Both men won the Premier League in their first season in charge, with Mourinho going on to claim back-to-back titles. For Conte his side’s title defence ended in tatters, and the FA Cup – Chelsea face Southampton in the semi-final at Wembley – marks the club’s last chance for silverware this season.

Conte insists he could have done better during his century of games but he insists the club is now operating in a different era to that when Mourinho was appointed after Claudio Ranieri had steered the Blues to the runners-up spot behind Arsenal.

“I could do better. Yes. This is my mentality,” said the Italian. “For sure, this is a good stat but I know that, this season, we could have done better. Mourinho was 72 in the first 100? We are talking about a great manager. Don’t forget that the first 100 games with Mourinho were many years ago. Now it’s not simple, I think. To have this type of results in this moment, in this present Chelsea. I must be pleased for the players, for the club, but for sure, we could do better.”

Conte inherited a side that had ended the previous season in tenth position, and he added: “It’s a different era. A different era in the history of the club.

“I won a title with Juventus after two seventh places. When you win a title in this way, it’s a great, great achievement. Not a simple achievement. Last season we won a title after a 10th place. When you win a title in this way, it means it’s a great, great achievement. Not a simple achievement, only because your name is Chelsea and it’s normal because, in the past, you won many titles. You have to see the era you are going through.”

Conte’s side lost last season’s FA Cup final to Arsenal but the Italian insists his men need no additional motivation ahead of their meeting with Southampton. “We must have great motivation to finish the season as strongly as possible,” he said. “Now we have this possibility, first of all, to play in an important final for the second time in a row. Then we have to try and do our best and finish the season in the best possible way this season that, for many reasons, has been a struggle.”

The win at Burnley left Chelsea five points behind Tottenham and while the prospect of overhauling Mauricio Pochettino’s side appears remote, Conte has not given up hope. “There is always an important gap between us and Tottenham,” he said. “We are talking about five points with four games to go. It won’t be easy, also because you depend upon the other results. In this case, Tottenham’s results. And you have to try and gain three points in every game yourself. But the only way we have to keep hope until the end is to try and play with the same desire and will that we showed against Burnley, and in the second half against Southampton last week. Maybe, with this desire and will to fight, this will to reach a good result, I think we have one possibility. Yes.”