Antonio Conte has responded to the recent condemnation of his players by reminding Chelsea's critics that they are now unbeaten in six weeks.
The Blues were criticised on the back of their lacklustre display against Norwich City in midweek, having failed to find a way past the opposition for a third match in a row.
Chelsea headed to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday lunchtime looking for their first win of 2018, but having passed that test with flying colours - earning a 4-0 triumph on the south coast - Conte used his post-match press conference to respond to the abuse.
"Whoever has said this has to pay attention to the stats. We're unbeaten in 11 games," he told reporters. "It's normal that the press try to see the negative aspect and don't see the positives. But this team, with many problems, are unbeaten in 11 games in every competition.
"This means we are performing important work with these players to win in this way, despite five players less: [Cesc] Fabregas, [Danny] Drinkwater, [Thibaut] Courtois, two suspensions in Pedro and [Alvaro] Morata.
"Despite this, we won 4-0. That means that every player deserves his chance, and every player has to fight to play. Now we have to continue in this way. I'm pleased with the responses of all the players. To grow in this aspect is very important for us."
Chelsea's unbeaten run actually spans 12 games, dating back to their 1-0 loss at West Ham United on December 9.
Daniel Lewis
