Conte salutes ´perfect game´ from Chelsea

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte hailed his side for producing the “perfect game” as they beat Southampton 2-0 on Sunday.

Goals in each half from Eden Hazard and Diego Costa secured a fourth win and clean sheet in as many games in the Premier League and moved the Blues to within a point of leaders Manchester City.

Conte was delighted with another strong defensive showing and a clinical edge in attack and believes that confidence at Stamford Bridge will only continue to grow after such a display.

“I’m pleased with the game,” he told BBC Sport. “This is the fourth game we win without conceding a goal in a row. It’s fantastic. The confidence increases. We can continue to work very hard.

“We knew [it] was a test against a strong side in good shape and form. It’s important to win games like this.

“But that’s the past and we must concentrate on the next game against a good team like Everton. But there is great satisfaction at the result and performance.

“We created many chances. It’s the perfect game when strikers score and defenders don’t concede. The players deserved this, they work hard in training.

“When you see this type of game and commitment from your players, it’s fantastic for a coach.”

Chelsea’s winning streak has seen them reach 22 points after 10 games, twice the number they managed in the same period under Jose Mourinho last season.

Conte, however, maintains that talk of a title challenge would be premature and insists that they can still improve.

“It’s early for us to speak about title contenders,” he told Sky Sports. “We have to work very hard to continue.

“We can improve a lot. We must improve. After the first part of the season, I can tell more about this run.”