Chelsea must ‘exploit’ their win over Tottenham, says Conte

Boss Antonio Conte says Chelsea must use their FA Cup victory over Tottenham to spur them on in the title race.

The Blues have seen their lead over their London rivals cut to four points following defeats against Crystal Palace and Manchester United in recent weeks and face a crucial match against Southampton on Tuesday.

But having ended Tottenham’s eight-game winning run with the 4-2 victory at Wembley, Conte says it is vital his team back up that victory when the Saints visit Stamford Bridge.

“We have to exploit the momentum for sure after this win,” Conte said. “It is really important win against a team fighting with us for the title.

“But also we have to know that on Tuesday we have to play a really tough game because Southampton are a strong team with some good technical players.

“The FA Cup and league are two different competitions. It is important to be focused. We have to rest and recover and prepare very well.

“We have a very tough game and we must know Tottenham want to fight until the end for the title. They have all possibilities to do this.”