Antonio Conte believes Chelsea’s Premier League title defence never began this season after the Italian watched his side lose 1-0 to West Ham on Saturday.
Marko Arnautovic’s sixth-minute goal at the London Stadium condemned the champions to their fourth league defeat already this season, which keeps Chelsea in third place in the standings – 11 points off leaders Manchester City, who can go 14 points clear should they beat Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Chelsea also lost 2-1 away to Crystal Palace – who at the time was rock bottom in the table – in mid-October, 1-0 at home to City and started the campaign with a 3-2 defeat against Burnley at Stamford Bridge.
And Conte believes that Chelsea is now no longer in the title race this term because they have failed to beat two teams in the relegation zone in West Ham and Palace.
“To talk about the title race after a defeat is a bit strange, especially this is the fourth defeat this season in 16 games,” Conte told reporters at the London Stadium.
“When you have this stat, it’s impossible to think you’re in the title race. It’s impossible – my experience tells me this. You can lose [only] once or twice.”
When then asked to clarify his comments given to broadcasters straight after the loss to West Ham about Chelsea never having been in the title race, Conte replied: “Because after 16 games, if you lose four games your title race never started.
“We started with a defeat in our home game against Burnley. We lost another game. We have a lot of reason to justify our loss to Manchester City.
“But when you lose to Crystal Palace at the bottom and, now, to West Ham who is in this moment in a bad position in the table, you can lose points and it means you’re not in the title race.
“You have to change, [we have to] do our best. I said it would be very tough.”
“We started our pre-season with our players. Our ideas were not so clear [against West Ham]. We made a lot of mistakes.
“We created chances to score but we didn’t take them.
“When you shoot 19 times in a game, it means you attacked but we can do better.”
