“They have the possibility”- Arch-rivals’ boss shows belief in Chelsea’s top-four chances this season

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte feels Chelsea still have a chance to finish in the top four

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte believes Chelsea can still finish in the top four after putting a strong run at the end of the season.

Chelsea defeated Leicester City with ease, winning 3-1 at King Power Stadium. This was their first away victory since overcoming Aston Villa 1-0 at Villa Park in October last year.

Graham Potter had a lot of pressure on him before Chelsea’s triumph over Leeds last weekend because the team hadn’t won a match since beating Crystal Palace in January.

For the first time this year, the Blues have won three games, defeating Leeds United and then rallying from a goal down to defeat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the second leg of the Champions League.

The Blues still have fixtures against Arsenal and Manchester City, as well as challenges against Liverpool and Manchester United. And could play a crucial role in the Premier League title chase.

Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, are going through a rough period as they exit the Champions League after failing to overturn a 1-0 deficit against AC Milan. Only three of their six games have ended in victories, yet they still sit in fourth place, 11 points ahead of Chelsea.

After his team defeated Nottingham Forest (h/t Football.London), Conte made the following statement regarding Chelsea finishing in the top four:

“You see Chelsea and what happened there and their position, but I don’t consider Chelsea outside [the top-four race]. They have the possibility of winning the last 11 or 12 games in a row because the squad is really, really strong.”

The former coach’s confidence that we can finish in the top four is reassuring, but we should not be complacent because we still have 12 games left to play and are 11 points behind fourth place, which will determine whether or not our team finishes in the top four.

Conte, who is also a cornerstone of Chelsea’s heritage, managed 106 games while leading the team to the Premier League championship in 2016–17. It will be a tough end to the season for us but we have found momentum at the right time.

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We now have two competitions to focus on – the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League. Chelsea have a big squad at their disposal and this time could also be used to gauge which players should be retained for next season.

It’s about making most of what is left. Top four is very tough – unrealistic even, but we are alive in Europe and can still secure a top-seven finish, even though most fans would rather take a season of no European football over Europa Conference League.