Title race far from over – Conte

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte said his side’s shock home defeat against Crystal Palace perfectly demonstrated why he has always maintained that the Premier League title race is far from over.

The Blues could have extended their lead at the top of the table to 13 points had they won and Tottenham lost.

But Spurs beat Burnley at Turf Moor, meaning Chelsea’s lead stands at just seven points with nine games remaining.

“It makes it more interesting in the championship,” Conte said.

“I always said that the league finishes when you have the mathematical team who won, otherwise you must fight and play every game to win, because in England there doesn’t exist an easy game.”

Chelsea looked set to earn a 14th consecutive home victory in all competitions when Cesc Fabregas scored inside four minutes.

But two goals in two minutes put Palace ahead and the visitors held on despite Chelsea enjoying more than 70% of possession and having 24 attempts on goal.

“We deserved at least to draw, because I think we created many chances to score,” Conte added.

“We dominated the game against a very strong team with good players. It’s a pity but it wasn’t our day.”