Chelsea defeat ‘totally different’ to previous losses – Conte

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte believes the defeat at Tottenham will test the mentality of his players – and insisted the loss was very different to the setbacks against Liverpool and Arsenal earlier in the season.

Dele Alli scored twice in a 2-0 win for Spurs that ended the Blues’ 13-game unbeaten run stretching back to the defeat at Arsenal in September.

Conte said: “It could be a good test for us. After a defeat it is always very difficult to know your reaction.

“We played a good game, with a good intensity, but they scored at the best time for them and the worst time for us.

“I think this defeat is totally different from September’s defeats against Arsenal and Liverpool. Then we weren’t a team but tonight we were still a team.

“We tried to fight, we tried to win the game. I saw the right will in my players and we played against a really good team – one of the top six who fight for the title.

“My thinking does not change, whether we win or lose. Training does not change. We must continue to work and our priority now is to win the next game.”