Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said that there are still areas for his side to improve, despite them notching up a club-record 11th consecutive win in the Premier League.
A first-half header from Diego Costa handed the Blues all three points from their trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon, sending Conte's men nine points clear at the top of the table ahead of their rivals' weekend fixtures.
"The run is fantastic. Congratulations to my players, not me," Conte told reporters afterwards. "I am pleased for them because they deserve this. I see every single moment, every day. It is commitment, the way we prepare for the game and the way they fight. I am pleased for the fans who are fantastic home and away and who push us.
"We can improve though. You can always improve in different aspects. I am pleased with this level we have reached, but it is important to understand we are only at the 17th game in the season. We must not look at the table. We must not look at our rivals and continue working hard ourselves.
"We have reached a good balance between offence and defence. In some moments, our goalkeeper has been decisive. We dominated the last game but Thibaut [Courtois] made a fantastic save. After last season when he conceded lots of goals, this season is very good for him. We attack and defend as a team."
Chelsea next face consecutive home games against Bournemouth and Stoke City over the festive period, followed by a trip to title rivals Tottenham Hotspur early next month.
Neil Wilkes
