Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has welcomed the pressure of being the team to beat in the Premier League.
The Blues have been by far the team of the season, having won 11 games in a row.
This is Antonio Conte’s first season with Chelsea and the Italian is already proving his metal in England.
Chelsea are currently 6 points clear at the top and the 47-year-old says he is happt that his team have surpassed all expectations.
“It’s good to stay in this position. I don’t trust the people when they say, ‘It’s important now to stay behind, and there’s pressure when you’re top’,” Conte said.
“I’d prefer the pressure of being top of the table. We earned this position. Now it’s important to keep it. It won’t be easy, for sure.”
“I think we must have the right pressure. We all know that, now, we are doing fantastic things. If I go with my mind at the start of the season, not one person thought or forecast that Chelsea would stay top of the table, for many reasons.”
Chelsea are set to play Bournemouth on Boxing Day and will miss N’Golo Kante and Diego Costa who are both suspended for the clash.
The three-time scudetto winner with Juventus said his players were aware of what it took to win and are geared up to face the challenge now.
“These players, in the past, have had the habit of staying top of the table. It’s not the first time for me or my players,” he said.
“But I prefer not to look at the table at this moment, either me or the players.”
“It’s important to do that at the end of the season. For now, it’s more important to take the three points and continue to progress.”