Chelsea's 1-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday shows they have rediscovered the kind of work ethic it takes to get results in the Premier League, defender Gary Cahill said.

Chelsea's victory over the Champions League finalists was their fourth league win in a row and Antonio Conte's side are now within touching distance of a top-four finish with two league games remaining.

They face Huddersfield Town on Wednesday and Newcastle United on Sunday.

"Of late we've shown the right attitude, we've shown the right work ethic to get back to the level we should be at and the momentum is building now, we're getting results," Cahill told Chelsea's website http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2018/05/cahill--back-at-our-level.html.

Chelsea are fifth on 69 points, two points behind Tottenham Hotspur and three points behind Liverpool, who have played a game more.

Cahill said keeping the Liverpool trio of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino off the scoresheet on Sunday was a major accomplishment.

"We did well against a front three who've been absolutely fantastic," Cahill added.

"We defended fantastically well as a team and to get a clean sheet against those three, who are top players and can hurt you time and again, was great."

Chelsea are fifth on 69 points, two points behind Tottenham Hotspur and three points behind Liverpool, who have played a game more

Chelsea's 1-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday shows they have rediscovered the kind of work ethic it takes to get results in the Premier League, defender Gary Cahill said. Chelsea's victory over the Champions League finalists was their fourth league win in a row and Antonio Conte's side are now within touching distance of a top-four finish with two league games remaining. They face Huddersfield Town on Wednesday and Newcastle United on Sunday. "Of late we've shown the right attitude, we've shown the right work ethic to get back to the level we should be at and the momentum is building now, we're getting results," Cahill told Chelsea's website http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2018/05/cahill--back-at-our-level.html. Chelsea are fifth on 69 points, two points behind Tottenham Hotspur and three points behind Liverpool, who have played a game more. Cahill said keeping the Liverpool trio of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino off the scoresheet on Sunday was a major accomplishment. "We did well against a front three who've been absolutely fantastic," Cahill added. "We defended fantastically well as a team and to get a clean sheet against those three, who are top players and can hurt you time and again, was great."

Renewed work ethic key to Chelsea revival, says Gary Cahill

The sale of Wembley would be a boost to England's goal of winning a World Cup, the stadium's potential new owner Shahid Khan has said, adding that the iconic venue would remain the home of English football under the proposed deal.

The US&nbsp;billionaire, who owns the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, has made an offer to buy Wembley from the English Football Association (FA) in a deal reported to be worth up to 1 billion pounds ($1.38 billion).

Under the plan, the FA would keep Wembley as the main venue to host national games and cup matches and Khan said the name of the stadium would not change.

"Wembley is the essence, the cradle of English football," Khan told the BBC. "We would very much like for England matches and cup finals to be played at Wembley, that is the DNA.

"(The FA) will have a pool of money of about 600 million pounds that can be invested into the core mission of the FA, which is English football and their ultimate goal of winning a World Cup."

The 90,000-seater stadium was reopened in 2007 after being rebuilt at a cost of 757 million pounds on the site of the original ground where England won the World Cup in 1966.

Khan, who also owns Championship side Fulham, said: "Wembley is a great stadium and you want to get it configured to hold Super Bowl and World Cup finals."

He added that he would look into the possibility of installing a roof and that Chelsea would be "welcome" to use the stadium as their temporary home when they leave Stamford Bridge during its redevelopment, which is expected to begin in 2020.

"Personally, I have not spoken to Chelsea, but the CEO of Fulham has spoken to his counterpart at Chelsea," he said.

"It was never an issue to us. Chelsea has been a great club and those relationships go back a long time."

"Wembley is the essence, the cradle of English football," Khan told the BBC. "We would very much like for England matches and cup finals to be played at Wembley, that is the DNA

The sale of Wembley would be a boost to England's goal of winning a World Cup, the stadium's potential new owner Shahid Khan has said, adding that the iconic venue would remain the home of English football under the proposed deal. The US billionaire, who owns the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, has made an offer to buy Wembley from the English Football Association (FA) in a deal reported to be worth up to 1 billion pounds ($1.38 billion). Under the plan, the FA would keep Wembley as the main venue to host national games and cup matches and Khan said the name of the stadium would not change. "Wembley is the essence, the cradle of English football," Khan told the BBC. "We would very much like for England matches and cup finals to be played at Wembley, that is the DNA. "(The FA) will have a pool of money of about 600 million pounds that can be invested into the core mission of the FA, which is English football and their ultimate goal of winning a World Cup." The 90,000-seater stadium was reopened in 2007 after being rebuilt at a cost of 757 million pounds on the site of the original ground where England won the World Cup in 1966. Khan, who also owns Championship side Fulham, said: "Wembley is a great stadium and you want to get it configured to hold Super Bowl and World Cup finals." He added that he would look into the possibility of installing a roof and that Chelsea would be "welcome" to use the stadium as their temporary home when they leave Stamford Bridge during its redevelopment, which is expected to begin in 2020. "Personally, I have not spoken to Chelsea, but the CEO of Fulham has spoken to his counterpart at Chelsea," he said. "It was never an issue to us. Chelsea has been a great club and those relationships go back a long time."

Soccer: Wembley would remain home of English football, says Khan

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is not surprised by Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah's exploits in the current campaign and said the decision to sell the Egyptian to Roma in 2016 was made by the Premier League club.

Salah joined Chelsea under Mourinho in 2014 but failed to establish himself at Stamford Bride and was loaned out to Fiorentina and Roma before a permanent move to the Stadio Olimpico outfit in 2016.

The 25-year-old returned to England league with Liverpool this season and has excelled, scoring 31 goals in 33 matches to win the Professional Footballers' Association's Player of the Year award.

"People say that I was the one that sold Salah and it is the opposite," Mourinho, who currently manages Manchester United, told ESPN.

"I was the one that bought Salah. I was the one that told Chelsea to buy Salah... But he came as a young kid, physically he was not ready, mentally he was not ready, socially and culturally he was lost and everything was tough for him.

"Chelsea decided to sell him, OK? ... So the decision to send him on loan was a decision we made collectively, but after that, the decision to sell him and to use that money to buy another player wasn't mine... "

Salah has scored 43 goals across all competitions this season and is in contention to win the European Golden Boot.

"I think everything has surprised even him. It has been fantastic," Mourinho added.

"But he is a great player that has reached the peak of maturity, he has already lived several other experiences and now has fitted perfectly into the style of play of the team, of the coach and of the club as well..."

Liverpool are currently third in the league and in prime position to reach the Champions League final, after a 5-2 win in the first leg of their semi-final against Roma.

The side return to league action when they host Stoke City on Saturday while Mourinho's United host Arsenal a day later.

Salah joined Chelsea under Mourinho in 2014 but failed to establish himself at Stamford Bride and was loaned out to Fiorentina and Roma before a permanent move to the Stadio Olimpico outfit in 2016.

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is not surprised by Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah's exploits in the current campaign and said the decision to sell the Egyptian to Roma in 2016 was made by the Premier League club. Salah joined Chelsea under Mourinho in 2014 but failed to establish himself at Stamford Bride and was loaned out to Fiorentina and Roma before a permanent move to the Stadio Olimpico outfit in 2016. The 25-year-old returned to England league with Liverpool this season and has excelled, scoring 31 goals in 33 matches to win the Professional Footballers' Association's Player of the Year award. "People say that I was the one that sold Salah and it is the opposite," Mourinho, who currently manages Manchester United, told ESPN. "I was the one that bought Salah. I was the one that told Chelsea to buy Salah... But he came as a young kid, physically he was not ready, mentally he was not ready, socially and culturally he was lost and everything was tough for him. "Chelsea decided to sell him, OK? ... So the decision to send him on loan was a decision we made collectively, but after that, the decision to sell him and to use that money to buy another player wasn't mine... " Salah has scored 43 goals across all competitions this season and is in contention to win the European Golden Boot. "I think everything has surprised even him. It has been fantastic," Mourinho added. "But he is a great player that has reached the peak of maturity, he has already lived several other experiences and now has fitted perfectly into the style of play of the team, of the coach and of the club as well..." Liverpool are currently third in the league and in prime position to reach the Champions League final, after a 5-2 win in the first leg of their semi-final against Roma. The side return to league action when they host Stoke City on Saturday while Mourinho's United host Arsenal a day later.

Football: Chelsea sold Salah in 2016, not me, says Mourinho

A flash of attacking brilliance from Olivier Giroud and an emphatic header from substitute Alvaro Morata earned&nbspChelsea&nbspa 2-0 win over struggling Southampton at Wembley on Sunday and an FA Cup final date with Manchester United next month.

Giroud muscled and dribbled past three defenders and flailing keeper Alex McCarthy seconds into the second half to poke the ball home from a pass by the ever-busy Eden Hazard.

"I love to play here (Wembley) and I have been unbeaten here so hopefully for the final we are going to keep it up," Giroud, whose Arsenal side beat&nbspChelsea&nbspin the final last year, told BT sport.

Morata, who came on for Giroud, made it two in the 82nd minute, nodding Cesar Azpilicueta's cross into the net.

Relegation-threatened Southampton were outplayed for most of the match but defended manfully during a dour first half, during which&nbspChelsea&nbspforward Willian hit the crossbar.

The Saints were forced to move out of their half after Giroud's goal and came close to equalising in the 72nd minute when&nbspChelsea&nbspkeeper Willy Caballero's save kept out Nathan Redmond's rasping shot.

They also had a possible goal not given when Charlie Austin was judged to have fouled the keeper. Austin then hit the post in the dying minutes of the game.

Chelsea&nbspwill meet Jose Mourinho's United at Wembley on May 19 after the Manchester side beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in the first semi-final on Saturday.

The clash will have added spice because of the tension between former&nbspChelsea&nbspboss Mourinho and current coach Antonio Conte.

Hazard, who has played under both managers, said: "We gave everything, we played very good football especially in the second half and controlled the game.

"Now we go to the final and for the championship (Premier League) again and then we can think about the final against Manchester United."

Chelsea&nbspare fifth in the league but Hazard said they had not given up hope of making the top four and getting a Champions League spot as well as winning the FA Cup.

Chelsea will meet Jose Mourinho's United at Wembley on May 19 in the finals of FA Cup

A flash of attacking brilliance from Olivier Giroud and an emphatic header from substitute Alvaro Morata earned&nbspChelsea&nbspa 2-0 win over struggling Southampton at Wembley on Sunday and an FA Cup final date with Manchester United next month. Giroud muscled and dribbled past three defenders and flailing keeper Alex McCarthy seconds into the second half to poke the ball home from a pass by the ever-busy Eden Hazard. "I love to play here (Wembley) and I have been unbeaten here so hopefully for the final we are going to keep it up," Giroud, whose Arsenal side beat&nbspChelsea&nbspin the final last year, told BT sport. Morata, who came on for Giroud, made it two in the 82nd minute, nodding Cesar Azpilicueta's cross into the net. Relegation-threatened Southampton were outplayed for most of the match but defended manfully during a dour first half, during which&nbspChelsea&nbspforward Willian hit the crossbar. The Saints were forced to move out of their half after Giroud's goal and came close to equalising in the 72nd minute when&nbspChelsea&nbspkeeper Willy Caballero's save kept out Nathan Redmond's rasping shot. They also had a possible goal not given when Charlie Austin was judged to have fouled the keeper. Austin then hit the post in the dying minutes of the game. Chelsea&nbspwill meet Jose Mourinho's United at Wembley on May 19 after the Manchester side beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in the first semi-final on Saturday. The clash will have added spice because of the tension between former&nbspChelsea&nbspboss Mourinho and current coach Antonio Conte. Hazard, who has played under both managers, said: "We gave everything, we played very good football especially in the second half and controlled the game. "Now we go to the final and for the championship (Premier League) again and then we can think about the final against Manchester United." Chelsea&nbspare fifth in the league but Hazard said they had not given up hope of making the top four and getting a Champions League spot as well as winning the FA Cup.

FA Cup: Chelsea beat Southampton 2-0 in semi-final

Chelsea coach Antonio Conte said he and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho had settled their differences ahead of next month's FA Cup final between the two clubs.

Conte, who won the title with Chelsea last season, and Mourinho, the London club's most successful ever manager, have clashed on several occasions.

In January, Conte called Mourinho "a little man" after Mourinho made a pointed comment about match-fixing, a reference to Conte's four-month suspension for failing to report match-fixing while a manager in Italy. Conte was later cleared by an Italian court of any wrongdoing.

The Italian was quick to try to bury the hatchet on Sunday after Chelsea secured their place in the final on May 19 by beating Southampton 2-0 in the semi-final at Wembley.

"I think with Jose we have clarified the situation and that is the most important thing. There is not a problem between him and I," Conte said. "I think that this final is a game between two great teams."

Conte said Manchester United, who sit second in the English Premier League, would go into the final as favourites against fifth-placed Chelsea.

"I think this season we arrive not as favourite but as you know last season we lost the final despite being favourite against Arsenal," Conte said.

Southampton manager Mark Hughes said he was disappointed that referee Martin Atkinson had not chosen to use the Video Assistant Referee system when he awarded a foul after Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero failed to catch a high ball which appeared to cross the line with Chelsea 1-0 up.

"Clearly it was a match-defining moment," Hughes said. "Why it hasn’t been referred, I have no idea."

Chelsea coach Antonio Conte said he and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho had settled their differences ahead of next month's FA Cup final

Chelsea coach Antonio Conte said he and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho had settled their differences ahead of next month's FA Cup final between the two clubs. Conte, who won the title with Chelsea last season, and Mourinho, the London club's most successful ever manager, have clashed on several occasions. In January, Conte called Mourinho "a little man" after Mourinho made a pointed comment about match-fixing, a reference to Conte's four-month suspension for failing to report match-fixing while a manager in Italy. Conte was later cleared by an Italian court of any wrongdoing. The Italian was quick to try to bury the hatchet on Sunday after Chelsea secured their place in the final on May 19 by beating Southampton 2-0 in the semi-final at Wembley. "I think with Jose we have clarified the situation and that is the most important thing. There is not a problem between him and I," Conte said. "I think that this final is a game between two great teams." Conte said Manchester United, who sit second in the English Premier League, would go into the final as favourites against fifth-placed Chelsea. "I think this season we arrive not as favourite but as you know last season we lost the final despite being favourite against Arsenal," Conte said. Southampton manager Mark Hughes said he was disappointed that referee Martin Atkinson had not chosen to use the Video Assistant Referee system when he awarded a foul after Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero failed to catch a high ball which appeared to cross the line with Chelsea 1-0 up. "Clearly it was a match-defining moment," Hughes said. "Why it hasn’t been referred, I have no idea."

Mourinho spat is over ahead of FA Cup final, says Antonio Conte

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte had a blooper moment in a recent media interaction when his wife called him in the middle of the press conference ahead of Thursday's league match against Burnley. He had journalists laughing while disconnecting the call and said, "Always in the worst moment" referring to his wife.

He was responding to one of the journalists when his phone rang. He took out his phone from his pocket and said,"It's my wife, and always in the worst moment (laughs). I'm sorry, you can put me a fine. I'm sorry because I am really annoyed if it happen in the same situation to you."

Watch the video here:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Antonio Conte's Chelsea press conference was disturbed today by a phone call from his wife.. 
 
'Remember to grab some milk, Antonio!' ?? <a href="https://t.co/PZ249qPQx1">pic.twitter.com/PZ249qPQx1</a>
— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) <a href="https://twitter.com/SoccerAM/status/986602852398354432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

He talked about Manchester City's success and gave the credit to City's boss Pep Guardiola for making the good investments in the talented players.

He also threw some lights on Chelsea's performance as the his side faced an uphill struggle to overtake London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and finish the season in fourth place to qualify for next season's Champions League.

Chelsea will face Southampton in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte was interrupted during a press conference by his wife's phone call

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte had a blooper moment in a recent media interaction when his wife called him in the middle of the press conference ahead of Thursday's league match against Burnley. He had journalists laughing while disconnecting the call and said, "Always in the worst moment" referring to his wife. He was responding to one of the journalists when his phone rang. He took out his phone from his pocket and said,"It's my wife, and always in the worst moment (laughs). I'm sorry, you can put me a fine. I'm sorry because I am really annoyed if it happen in the same situation to you." Watch the video here: Antonio Conte's Chelsea press conference was disturbed today by a phone call from his wife.. 'Remember to grab some milk, Antonio!' ?? pic.twitter.com/PZ249qPQx1 — Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) April 18, 2018 × He talked about Manchester City's success and gave the credit to City's boss Pep Guardiola for making the good investments in the talented players. He also threw some lights on Chelsea's performance as the his side faced an uphill struggle to overtake London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and finish the season in fourth place to qualify for next season's Champions League. Chelsea will face Southampton in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Watch: How Antonio Conte's wife interrupts press conference

Tottenham Hotspur ended 28 years of hurt and took a massive stride in the race for a top-four finish in the Premier League as Dele Alli struck twice in a 3-1 victory at Chelsea on Sunday.

Not since Gary Lineker scored the winning goal in 1990 had Tottenham taken three points home from Stamford Bridge and in 2016 their title hopes were ended by the Blues in a rumbustious draw dubbed the 'Battle of the Bridge'.

Fourth-placed Tottenham, unbeaten in the league since December, began the day five points clear of Chelsea, but it looked like being a familiar tale of woe when Alvaro Morata punished a Hugo Lloris mistake to head the hosts in front.

Christian Eriksen bamboozled Willy Caballero with a dipping effort just before the break though and Alli, whose form and temperament has been questioned of late, struck twice in four minutes in the second half.

The sight of fit-again Harry Kane coming on as a substitute added to the joy of Tottenham's fans who could finally celebrate at Stamford Bridge after 27 league games there without a win -- a run of 18 defeats and nine draws.

Tottenham have 64 points to Chelsea's 56 with seven games remaining. Spurs are only two points behind third-placed Liverpool, having played a game less.

"After 28 years it is important to win here. It's a happy day for everyone -- fans, players -- and we feel very proud," Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said.

"We dominated the game but Chelsea created the chances and scored. In the second half we were much better and we deserved the victory. The players deserve praise because we showed character at 1-0 down. It's a day to feel very proud."

Before kickoff both sets of fans united in support of Chelsea's seriously ill former skipper Ray Wilkins.

But once the whistle went hostilities resumed -- even if the match never threatened to boil over.

Tottenham were assured in possession but vulnerable to Chelsea's rapid attacks -- twice needing Lloris to make saves from Willian and Victor Moses.

Lloris was badly at fault though in the 30th minute when he flapped at a Moses cross and Morata nodded in his 11th league goal of the season.

For a while, Tottenham looked jittery but Eriksen tested Caballero with one stinging shot before equalising just before the break with a sensational strike.

Moses gave the ball away and when the ball was worked to the Dane he took aim and fired a right-foot shot from 30 yards that dipped over Caballero who was playing in place of the injured Thibaut Courtois.

Son Heung-min tested Caballero with a curling left-foot shot after the break but Tottenham went ahead in the 62nd minute when Alli, playing his 100th Premier League game for the club, timed his run to perfection. He took down Eric Dier's pass and fired the ball past Chelsea's keeper.

Alli was left out of England's friendly matches against the Netherlands and Italy and he has come under fire for diving this season but he answered his critics again four minutes later.

Son caused more panic in the Chelsea defence and after the South Korean had two efforts blocked, the ball fell to Alli who took a touch before firing home.

Tottenham's fans celebrated long and loud after the final whistle sounded and they will now be confident of watching Champions League football in their new stadium next season.

Tottenham's fans celebrated long and loud after the final whistle sounded and they will now be confident of watching Champions League football in their new stadium next season.

Tottenham Hotspur ended 28 years of hurt and took a massive stride in the race for a top-four finish in the Premier League as Dele Alli struck twice in a 3-1 victory at Chelsea on Sunday. Not since Gary Lineker scored the winning goal in 1990 had Tottenham taken three points home from Stamford Bridge and in 2016 their title hopes were ended by the Blues in a rumbustious draw dubbed the 'Battle of the Bridge'. Fourth-placed Tottenham, unbeaten in the league since December, began the day five points clear of Chelsea, but it looked like being a familiar tale of woe when Alvaro Morata punished a Hugo Lloris mistake to head the hosts in front. Christian Eriksen bamboozled Willy Caballero with a dipping effort just before the break though and Alli, whose form and temperament has been questioned of late, struck twice in four minutes in the second half. The sight of fit-again Harry Kane coming on as a substitute added to the joy of Tottenham's fans who could finally celebrate at Stamford Bridge after 27 league games there without a win -- a run of 18 defeats and nine draws. Tottenham have 64 points to Chelsea's 56 with seven games remaining. Spurs are only two points behind third-placed Liverpool, having played a game less. "After 28 years it is important to win here. It's a happy day for everyone -- fans, players -- and we feel very proud," Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said. "We dominated the game but Chelsea created the chances and scored. In the second half we were much better and we deserved the victory. The players deserve praise because we showed character at 1-0 down. It's a day to feel very proud." Before kickoff both sets of fans united in support of Chelsea's seriously ill former skipper Ray Wilkins. But once the whistle went hostilities resumed -- even if the match never threatened to boil over. Tottenham were assured in possession but vulnerable to Chelsea's rapid attacks -- twice needing Lloris to make saves from Willian and Victor Moses. Lloris was badly at fault though in the 30th minute when he flapped at a Moses cross and Morata nodded in his 11th league goal of the season. For a while, Tottenham looked jittery but Eriksen tested Caballero with one stinging shot before equalising just before the break with a sensational strike. Moses gave the ball away and when the ball was worked to the Dane he took aim and fired a right-foot shot from 30 yards that dipped over Caballero who was playing in place of the injured Thibaut Courtois. Son Heung-min tested Caballero with a curling left-foot shot after the break but Tottenham went ahead in the 62nd minute when Alli, playing his 100th Premier League game for the club, timed his run to perfection. He took down Eric Dier's pass and fired the ball past Chelsea's keeper. Alli was left out of England's friendly matches against the Netherlands and Italy and he has come under fire for diving this season but he answered his critics again four minutes later. Son caused more panic in the Chelsea defence and after the South Korean had two efforts blocked, the ball fell to Alli who took a touch before firing home. Tottenham's fans celebrated long and loud after the final whistle sounded and they will now be confident of watching Champions League football in their new stadium next season.

EPL: Tottenham Hotspur beat Chelsea as Dele Alli strikes twice

Chelsea host Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow will be aiming to extend the visitors' 28-year wait for a league win at Stamford Bridge and keep their hopes of Champions League football next season alive in the process.

Spurs sit five points above the English champions in the fourth and final Champions League place with just eight games of the campaign to go.

Missing out on the top four would almost certainly seal Chelsea manager Antonio Conte's fate with speculation already rife over the Italian's future and who trigger-happy owner Roman Abramovich could look to as his successor.

However, Conte remains hopeful that Chelsea can make up the lost ground caused by four defeats in their last six league games.

If we win, we go very close to Tottenham," said Conte. "Otherwise, we continue to stay not so close and, with seven games to go, it will be difficult to take a place in the Champions League."

By contrast, Spurs are unbeaten in their last 12 league games stretching back to December.

Victory for Mauricio Pochettino's men would be extra sweet as, despite the impressive progress made under the Argentine in recent years, Chelsea have largely continued to hold the upper hand on their London rivals.

Most memorably, Spurs' hopes for a first title since 1961 were ended as Chelsea fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 in a bad-tempered clash labelled 'Battle of the Bridge' in 2016.

Instead, Leicester were crowned champions on a night that saw nine Spurs' players booked and Mousa Dembele slapped with a six-match ban for an eye gouge on Diego Costa.

Tottenham finished runners-up in the Premier League again last season, this time behind a relentless Chelsea, who also beat Spurs 4-2 in the FA Cup semi-finals.

"History is history and is there, but it is not going to help. That is not what counts," said Pochettino.

"I think it is not a point to be focused on for us. We must be focused on the win and the performance."

- Kane comeback? -

Spurs' case could be massively boosted by a shock early return for talismanic striker Harry Kane.

The England international was expected to be sidelined for well into April by ankle ligament damage suffered at Bournemouth three weeks ago.

Pochettino was coy on Kane's status on Friday, insisting it was too early to make a judgement call on the man who has already scored 35 goals in all competitions this season.

However, he hailed Kane's work rate to bounce back so quickly from what seemed a very serious injury.

"The most important (thing) is that we are so positive about his recovery, and we are doing fantastic, and we are so happy," said Pochettino.

"After Bournemouth everybody believed it would be a long period out, but the resolution has been fantastic."

Spurs have coped impressively without Kane during injury absences over the past two seasons. However, Conte was clear he would rather not have the headache of stopping he called "one of the best strikers in the world." 
"When you have a player, a striker, who scores 30 goals every season, for sure when he's missing you can feel this."

Chelsea have injury problems of their own, though, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defender Andreas Christensen both doubtful.

Spurs sit five points above the English champions i

Chelsea host Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow will be aiming to extend the visitors' 28-year wait for a league win at Stamford Bridge and keep their hopes of Champions League football next season alive in the process. Spurs sit five points above the English champions in the fourth and final Champions League place with just eight games of the campaign to go. Missing out on the top four would almost certainly seal Chelsea manager Antonio Conte's fate with speculation already rife over the Italian's future and who trigger-happy owner Roman Abramovich could look to as his successor. However, Conte remains hopeful that Chelsea can make up the lost ground caused by four defeats in their last six league games. If we win, we go very close to Tottenham," said Conte. "Otherwise, we continue to stay not so close and, with seven games to go, it will be difficult to take a place in the Champions League." By contrast, Spurs are unbeaten in their last 12 league games stretching back to December. Victory for Mauricio Pochettino's men would be extra sweet as, despite the impressive progress made under the Argentine in recent years, Chelsea have largely continued to hold the upper hand on their London rivals. Most memorably, Spurs' hopes for a first title since 1961 were ended as Chelsea fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 in a bad-tempered clash labelled 'Battle of the Bridge' in 2016. Instead, Leicester were crowned champions on a night that saw nine Spurs' players booked and Mousa Dembele slapped with a six-match ban for an eye gouge on Diego Costa. Tottenham finished runners-up in the Premier League again last season, this time behind a relentless Chelsea, who also beat Spurs 4-2 in the FA Cup semi-finals. "History is history and is there, but it is not going to help. That is not what counts," said Pochettino. "I think it is not a point to be focused on for us. We must be focused on the win and the performance." - Kane comeback? - Spurs' case could be massively boosted by a shock early return for talismanic striker Harry Kane. The England international was expected to be sidelined for well into April by ankle ligament damage suffered at Bournemouth three weeks ago. Pochettino was coy on Kane's status on Friday, insisting it was too early to make a judgement call on the man who has already scored 35 goals in all competitions this season. However, he hailed Kane's work rate to bounce back so quickly from what seemed a very serious injury. "The most important (thing) is that we are so positive about his recovery, and we are doing fantastic, and we are so happy," said Pochettino. "After Bournemouth everybody believed it would be a long period out, but the resolution has been fantastic." Spurs have coped impressively without Kane during injury absences over the past two seasons. However, Conte was clear he would rather not have the headache of stopping he called "one of the best strikers in the world." "When you have a player, a striker, who scores 30 goals every season, for sure when he's missing you can feel this." Chelsea have injury problems of their own, though, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defender Andreas Christensen both doubtful.

Chelsea's Champions League chances hang on same old Spurs story

Pedro Rodriguez came off the bench to keep Chelsea&#39;s chances of silverware this season alive with an extra-time winner in a 2-1 victory at Leicester on Sunday to reach the FA Cup semi-finals.

Alvaro Morata&#39;s first goal since Boxing Day on his return to the Chelsea starting line-up put the visitors on course to bounce back from their Champions League elimination at the hands of Barcelona in midweek.

However, Jamie Vardy&#39;s equaliser 15 minutes from time made them do it the hard way in an extra 30 minutes.

Yet, for all Antonio Conte&#39;s complaints this season about his side&#39;s strength in depth, the Italian was able to call on Pedro to turn the game in Chelsea&#39;s favour when he headed home former Leicester favourite N&#39;Golo Kante&#39;s cross.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
We are on semi-finals! Great job, team!! Come on Blues!! / Estamos en semifinales!!! Gran trabajo, equipo! ???????????????????? <a href="https://twitter.com/ChelseaFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chelseafc</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CFC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FACup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FACup</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LEICHE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LEICHE</a> <a href="https://t.co/8rU9dJTl5K">pic.twitter.com/8rU9dJTl5K</a>
&mdash; Pedro Rodr&iacute;guez (@_Pedro17_) <a href="https://twitter.com/_Pedro17_/status/975450617543086080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

And Conte hailed his players&#39; physical and mental strength to shrug off their Champions League disappointment.

&quot;After a game like Barcelona game -- don&#39;t forget we spent a lot of energy -- to play 120 minutes tonight with this weather it wasn&#39;t easy,&quot; said Conte of his side&#39;s resolve in freezing conditions.

&quot;We showed a great desire, great will to fight, great will to reach the semi-finals and to go for the second time in a row to Wembley.&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Happy for the win and the qualification!! There&#39;s only one way: work, work and more work!! Go Chelsea!! ????⚽️ <a href="https://t.co/Vfj0XiUpUM">pic.twitter.com/Vfj0XiUpUM</a>
&mdash; &Aacute;lvaro Morata (@AlvaroMorata) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlvaroMorata/status/975460688830353414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Chelsea had lost three of their past four matches to fall behind in the race for a top-four finish in the Premier League as well as their European exit.

But they will fancy their chances of reaching the final for the second time in as many years under Conte after drawing Premier League strugglers Southampton in the last four.

Morata ends drought

Yet, the biggest plus of all for Conte going forward may be Morata&#39;s return to form after a torrid time in 2018 as both form and fitness have deserted Chelsea&#39;s &pound;70 million club record buy from Real Madrid.

Morata had a point to prove after being left out of the Spain squad on Friday just three months ahead of the World Cup.

And he looked keen to make the most of just his second start since the sides last met in a 0-0 draw in early January.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Hard cup fight over 120 minutes ???????????? In the end we&#39;re through to the semi finals ???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hustle?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hustle</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wembleycalling?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wembleycalling</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AlwaysBelieve?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AlwaysBelieve</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FACup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FACup</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ChelseaFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChelseaFC</a> <a href="https://t.co/GDt5VS8bhc">pic.twitter.com/GDt5VS8bhc</a>
&mdash; Antonio R&uuml;diger (@ToniRuediger) <a href="https://twitter.com/ToniRuediger/status/975462680726327297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;For sure, for the striker is very important to score,&quot; said Conte.

&quot;I think for Alvaro was very important to score, but at the same time I am very pleased for his performance.

&quot;He showed great character, he showed to be strong. I think this goal will be very important for the future for us.&quot;

Morata had stung the palms of Kasper Schmeichel from the edge of the box and hit the outside of the post from the narrowest of angles before putting Chelsea in front three minutes before half-time.

Much of the credit must go to Willian, though, who surged through the heart of the Leicester midfield on the counter-attack before feeding the Spaniard.

And Morata coolly clipped the ball beyond the advancing Schmeichel with an assuredness unbefitting of a striker who had gone 13 games without a goal.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Wembley, here we come! Well done boys and thanks to our fans for the amazing support ???????????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LEICHE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LEICHE</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ChelseaFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChelseaFC</a> 
 
Vamos a Wembley! Grande equipo y espectacular apoyo de nuestra afici&oacute;n ???????????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LEICHE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LEICHE</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ChelseaFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChelseaFC</a> <a href="https://t.co/pYJEPWjFTU">pic.twitter.com/pYJEPWjFTU</a>
&mdash; Marcos Alonso (@marcosalonso03) <a href="https://twitter.com/marcosalonso03/status/975476305683763200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The visitors were happy to take their chances on the counter-attack in the second period as they began to feel the after-effects of their run around at Barcelona in midweek.

Leicester&#39;s search for an equaliser was largely laboured and, even when a big chance did arise, Vardy headed wastefully over when completely unmarked inside the area.

However, the England international made amends 15 minutes from time when he forced the ball home at the third attempt after Vicente Iborra&#39;s first two efforts were blocked and then saved by Willy Caballero.

&quot;I&#39;m a bit upset at the moment because I think we deserved another result,&quot; said Leicester manager Claude Puel.

&quot;They found a good clinical edge. Morata&#39;s goal was the only chance of the first half. It was harsh to concede just before half-time, but we came back with more calm and more quality.&quot;

Crucially, though, Conte was able to refresh his side as Pedro, Gary Cahill and Olivier Giroud were all introduced in the first half of extra time.

And it was Pedro who proved the match-winner in unfamiliar fashion as he rose to outjump Schmeichel and nod into an unguarded net.

&nbsp;

Pedro Rodriguez came off the bench to keep Chelsea's chances of silverware this season alive with an extra-time winner in a 2-1 victory at Leicester

Pedro Rodriguez came off the bench to keep Chelsea's chances of silverware this season alive with an extra-time winner in a 2-1 victory at Leicester on Sunday to reach the FA Cup semi-finals. Alvaro Morata's first goal since Boxing Day on his return to the Chelsea starting line-up put the visitors on course to bounce back from their Champions League elimination at the hands of Barcelona in midweek. However, Jamie Vardy's equaliser 15 minutes from time made them do it the hard way in an extra 30 minutes. Yet, for all Antonio Conte's complaints this season about his side's strength in depth, the Italian was able to call on Pedro to turn the game in Chelsea's favour when he headed home former Leicester favourite N'Golo Kante's cross. We are on semi-finals! Great job, team!! Come on Blues!! / Estamos en semifinales!!! Gran trabajo, equipo! ???????????????????? @Chelseafc #CFC #FACup #LEICHE pic.twitter.com/8rU9dJTl5K — Pedro Rodríguez (@_Pedro17_) March 18, 2018 × And Conte hailed his players' physical and mental strength to shrug off their Champions League disappointment. "After a game like Barcelona game -- don't forget we spent a lot of energy -- to play 120 minutes tonight with this weather it wasn't easy," said Conte of his side's resolve in freezing conditions. "We showed a great desire, great will to fight, great will to reach the semi-finals and to go for the second time in a row to Wembley." Happy for the win and the qualification!! There's only one way: work, work and more work!! Go Chelsea!! ????⚽️ pic.twitter.com/Vfj0XiUpUM — Álvaro Morata (@AlvaroMorata) March 18, 2018 × Chelsea had lost three of their past four matches to fall behind in the race for a top-four finish in the Premier League as well as their European exit. But they will fancy their chances of reaching the final for the second time in as many years under Conte after drawing Premier League strugglers Southampton in the last four. Morata ends drought Yet, the biggest plus of all for Conte going forward may be Morata's return to form after a torrid time in 2018 as both form and fitness have deserted Chelsea's £70 million club record buy from Real Madrid. Morata had a point to prove after being left out of the Spain squad on Friday just three months ahead of the World Cup. And he looked keen to make the most of just his second start since the sides last met in a 0-0 draw in early January. Hard cup fight over 120 minutes ???????????? In the end we're through to the semi finals ???????? #Hustle #wembleycalling #AlwaysBelieve #FACup @ChelseaFC pic.twitter.com/GDt5VS8bhc — Antonio Rüdiger (@ToniRuediger) March 18, 2018 × "For sure, for the striker is very important to score," said Conte. "I think for Alvaro was very important to score, but at the same time I am very pleased for his performance. "He showed great character, he showed to be strong. I think this goal will be very important for the future for us." Morata had stung the palms of Kasper Schmeichel from the edge of the box and hit the outside of the post from the narrowest of angles before putting Chelsea in front three minutes before half-time. Much of the credit must go to Willian, though, who surged through the heart of the Leicester midfield on the counter-attack before feeding the Spaniard. And Morata coolly clipped the ball beyond the advancing Schmeichel with an assuredness unbefitting of a striker who had gone 13 games without a goal. Wembley, here we come! Well done boys and thanks to our fans for the amazing support ???????????? #LEICHE @ChelseaFC Vamos a Wembley! Grande equipo y espectacular apoyo de nuestra afición ???????????? #LEICHE @ChelseaFC pic.twitter.com/pYJEPWjFTU — Marcos Alonso (@marcosalonso03) March 18, 2018 × The visitors were happy to take their chances on the counter-attack in the second period as they began to feel the after-effects of their run around at Barcelona in midweek. Leicester's search for an equaliser was largely laboured and, even when a big chance did arise, Vardy headed wastefully over when completely unmarked inside the area. However, the England international made amends 15 minutes from time when he forced the ball home at the third attempt after Vicente Iborra's first two efforts were blocked and then saved by Willy Caballero. "I'm a bit upset at the moment because I think we deserved another result," said Leicester manager Claude Puel. "They found a good clinical edge. Morata's goal was the only chance of the first half. It was harsh to concede just before half-time, but we came back with more calm and more quality." Crucially, though, Conte was able to refresh his side as Pedro, Gary Cahill and Olivier Giroud were all introduced in the first half of extra time. And it was Pedro who proved the match-winner in unfamiliar fashion as he rose to outjump Schmeichel and nod into an unguarded net.

FA Cup: Pedro keeps Chelsea in the hunt for FA Cup glory

Chelsea suffered an early exit from the race of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-messi-strikes-twice-as-barcelona-crush-chelsea-35854">winning Champions Leauge</a> title as FC Barcelona thrashed the &#39;Blues&#39; in the decisive <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-messi-strikes-twice-as-barcelona-crush-chelsea-35854">second leg clash</a> of the of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 at Camp Nou.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-throwback-to-lionel-messis-first-goal-in-champions-league-35861">Lionel Messi</a> at his best blasted two magnificent goals to inspire the team to reach the quarter-final of the tournament. He also reached the milestone of completing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-throwback-to-lionel-messis-first-goal-in-champions-league-35861">100 goals in Champions League</a>.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte too hailed Lionel Messi for his splendid performance in both the legs. He was asked about Messi&#39;s performance and he said, &quot;We are talking about the best player in the world. Over the two legs, Messi made the difference.&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
&quot;We are talking about the best player in the world. Over the two legs, Messi made the difference. 
 
Antonio Conte on the Barcelona magician who put in yet another special display. We&#39;ve lost count... 
 
???? <a href="https://twitter.com/DesKellyBTS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DesKellyBTS</a> <a href="https://t.co/zgYG8R8v0o">pic.twitter.com/zgYG8R8v0o</a>
&mdash; Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/btsportfootball/status/974061899456290817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Conte was obviously not happy after the match and was blaming the &quot;luck&quot; and poor start in the first half of the game.

In the post-match conference, he said, &quot;You can see that the result is unfair and we conceded a goal - our start was terrible - but to concede a goal after two minutes...after this we tried to play football, and for a long time we dominated the game and created chances to score - over the two legs we hit the post four times.&quot;

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde responded to Conte&#39;s remark of being &quot;unlucky&quot; and said, &quot;We all see the game from our own perspective. We scored with our first shot and we clearly had more chances. They could have scored as well, but we all make an analysis from our own perspective. I accept his.&quot;

Antonio Conte was not happy after the match and was blaming the "luck" and poor start for Chelsea's ouster

Chelsea suffered an early exit from the race of winning Champions Leauge title as FC Barcelona thrashed the 'Blues' in the decisive second leg clash of the of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 at Camp Nou. Lionel Messi at his best blasted two magnificent goals to inspire the team to reach the quarter-final of the tournament. He also reached the milestone of completing 100 goals in Champions League. Chelsea manager Antonio Conte too hailed Lionel Messi for his splendid performance in both the legs. He was asked about Messi's performance and he said, "We are talking about the best player in the world. Over the two legs, Messi made the difference." "We are talking about the best player in the world. Over the two legs, Messi made the difference. Antonio Conte on the Barcelona magician who put in yet another special display. We've lost count... ???? @DesKellyBTS pic.twitter.com/zgYG8R8v0o — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 14, 2018 × Conte was obviously not happy after the match and was blaming the "luck" and poor start in the first half of the game. In the post-match conference, he said, "You can see that the result is unfair and we conceded a goal - our start was terrible - but to concede a goal after two minutes...after this we tried to play football, and for a long time we dominated the game and created chances to score - over the two legs we hit the post four times." Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde responded to Conte's remark of being "unlucky" and said, "We all see the game from our own perspective. We scored with our first shot and we clearly had more chances. They could have scored as well, but we all make an analysis from our own perspective. I accept his."

'Messi made the difference,' says Chelsea manager Antonio Conte

FC Barcelona thrashed Chelsea in the decisive second leg clash of the of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 at&nbsp;Camp Nou on Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning.

Barcelona hailed Lionel Messi as &quot;The King&quot; and he handed Chelsea the royal punishment by scoring twice to reach 100 Champions League goals and end their quarter-final hopes.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
???? <a href="https://twitter.com/ChampionsLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChampionsLeague</a> goals for Leo <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Messi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Messi</a>! 
????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bar%C3%A7aChelsea?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bar&ccedil;aChelsea</a> ???????? <a href="https://t.co/HwrkBFFR5s">pic.twitter.com/HwrkBFFR5s</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/974030114789847040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

After unfurling a banner showing the words &quot;God Save The King&quot; before kick-off, Barca&#39;s fans were celebrating after just 129 seconds at the Camp Nou as Messi found the net before Chelsea had even made a pass.

He then teed up Ousmane Dembele to double Barca&#39;s lead in the second leg of the last-16 clash before registering a century of Champions League goals on his 123rd appearance to complete a 3-0 victory, 4-1 on aggregate.

Messi becomes only the second player to reach the milestone in Europe&#39;s premier tournament, following Real Madrid&#39;s Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 117 goals in 152 games.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Together! 
???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/For%C3%A7aBar%C3%A7a?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#For&ccedil;aBar&ccedil;a</a> <a href="https://t.co/kRFZOVd4m4">pic.twitter.com/kRFZOVd4m4</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/974080312090259457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;He knows in certain moments the stars have to come out,&quot; Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said. &quot;We enjoy him. We&#39;re lucky enough to be seeing something that will go down in history.&quot;

By the end, the Argentinian&#39;s scintillating breakaway in the build-up to Dembele&#39;s first Barcelona goal had become little more than a footnote to what was another Messi masterclass.

&quot;I think that a fantastic player moved the final result,&quot; Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said. &quot;In these two legs, he scored three goals, he made an assist for Dembele to score a goal. It&#39;s a pity.&quot;

It also caps a remarkable five days for the 30-year-old, who sat out Saturday&#39;s La Liga win over Malaga to attend to the birth of his third child.

Chelsea, in touch after the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, were therefore unfortunate enough to encounter the striker fresh, free and at his frighteningly brilliant best.&nbsp;

At the finish, Conte left the field with his arm around the forward, perhaps with nothing to add but congratulations.

&quot;I think when you have the opportunity to make great compliment to Messi, I think it&#39;s right,&quot; Conte added. &quot;It&#39;s right to recognise a super, super, super top player.&quot;

Conte&#39;s team had chances, particularly in the first half, but the sense was once Barcelona were in front they were content to sit back and counter.

&nbsp;

Lionel Messi scored two brilliant goals as Barcelona thrashed Chelsea 3-0 on Wednesday to reach the Champions League quarter-finals

FC Barcelona thrashed Chelsea in the decisive second leg clash of the of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 at Camp Nou on Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning. Barcelona hailed Lionel Messi as "The King" and he handed Chelsea the royal punishment by scoring twice to reach 100 Champions League goals and end their quarter-final hopes. ???? @ChampionsLeague goals for Leo #Messi! ????#BarçaChelsea ???????? pic.twitter.com/HwrkBFFR5s — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 14, 2018 × After unfurling a banner showing the words "God Save The King" before kick-off, Barca's fans were celebrating after just 129 seconds at the Camp Nou as Messi found the net before Chelsea had even made a pass. He then teed up Ousmane Dembele to double Barca's lead in the second leg of the last-16 clash before registering a century of Champions League goals on his 123rd appearance to complete a 3-0 victory, 4-1 on aggregate. Messi becomes only the second player to reach the milestone in Europe's premier tournament, following Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 117 goals in 152 games. Together! ???????? #ForçaBarça pic.twitter.com/kRFZOVd4m4 — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 15, 2018 × "He knows in certain moments the stars have to come out," Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said. "We enjoy him. We're lucky enough to be seeing something that will go down in history." By the end, the Argentinian's scintillating breakaway in the build-up to Dembele's first Barcelona goal had become little more than a footnote to what was another Messi masterclass. "I think that a fantastic player moved the final result," Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said. "In these two legs, he scored three goals, he made an assist for Dembele to score a goal. It's a pity." It also caps a remarkable five days for the 30-year-old, who sat out Saturday's La Liga win over Malaga to attend to the birth of his third child. Chelsea, in touch after the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, were therefore unfortunate enough to encounter the striker fresh, free and at his frighteningly brilliant best. At the finish, Conte left the field with his arm around the forward, perhaps with nothing to add but congratulations. "I think when you have the opportunity to make great compliment to Messi, I think it's right," Conte added. "It's right to recognise a super, super, super top player." Conte's team had chances, particularly in the first half, but the sense was once Barcelona were in front they were content to sit back and counter.

Champions League: Messi strikes twice as Barcelona crush Chelsea

FC Barcelona will host Chelsea in a decisive second leg clash of the of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 at their home ground Camp Nou on Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning. The match will start at 1:15 pm local time.

Ahead of the match, Barca coach&nbsp;Ernesto Valverde talked to media about second led&#39;s clash, he said, &quot;I expect a similar rival to the one we faced during the first leg, with all of their virtues and with all the danger attached to them.&quot;

He further said that Chelsea&#39;s &#39;qualities&#39; are worrying him he said,&nbsp;&quot;We are worried about the danger Chelsea can put us under because they have a great counter-attack and strategy.&quot;

&quot;I am worried because of that statistic, but even more so because of Chelsea&#39;s qualities,&quot; Barca&nbsp;manager showed his concerns.

FC Barcelona squad news:

Andres Iniesta was spotted training so fans are expecting his return in the big clash as he suffered a hamstring injury.

Lionel Messi is back into the action as he missed his last match due to the birth of his third baby.

Philippe Coutinho won&#39;t he is ineligible for the match having previously played for Liverpool in the group stage of the competition before the transfer.

Nelson Semedo and midfielder Denis Su&aacute;rez are also both out with injuries.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
???? Squad list 
???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bar%C3%A7aChelsea?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bar&ccedil;aChelsea</a> <a href="https://t.co/7YgKzKnl1U">pic.twitter.com/7YgKzKnl1U</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/973631752395808776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

FC Barcelona will host Chelsea in a decisive second leg clash of the of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 at Camp Nou

FC Barcelona will host Chelsea in a decisive second leg clash of the of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 at their home ground Camp Nou on Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning. The match will start at 1:15 pm local time. Ahead of the match, Barca coach Ernesto Valverde talked to media about second led's clash, he said, "I expect a similar rival to the one we faced during the first leg, with all of their virtues and with all the danger attached to them." He further said that Chelsea's 'qualities' are worrying him he said, "We are worried about the danger Chelsea can put us under because they have a great counter-attack and strategy." "I am worried because of that statistic, but even more so because of Chelsea's qualities," Barca manager showed his concerns. FC Barcelona squad news: Andres Iniesta was spotted training so fans are expecting his return in the big clash as he suffered a hamstring injury. Lionel Messi is back into the action as he missed his last match due to the birth of his third baby. Philippe Coutinho won't he is ineligible for the match having previously played for Liverpool in the group stage of the competition before the transfer. Nelson Semedo and midfielder Denis Suárez are also both out with injuries. ???? Squad list ???????? #BarçaChelsea pic.twitter.com/7YgKzKnl1U — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 13, 2018 ×

Barca coach Valverde worried ahead of Chelsea clash

&quot;In the first leg, we made a mistake we paid a lot because of this mistake&quot; - Antonio Conte, Chelsea manager

Remember what the mistake was, see the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-barcelona-chelsea-willian-lionel-messi-iniesta-chelseabarca-football-soccer-33540">highlights</a> of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-barcelona-chelsea-willian-lionel-messi-iniesta-chelseabarca-football-soccer-33540">last clash</a>:&nbsp;

Conte is talking about the loophole in Chelsea&#39;s defence when Iniesta&#39;s beautiful assist to Messi equalised the score in the 75the minute to relax the Barcelona fans and followers.

FC Barcelona will host Chelsea in a decisive second leg clash of the of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 at their home ground Camp Nou on Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning. The match will start at 1:15 pm local time.

The nailbiting first leg tied 1-1 and now both the teams are ready to carry forward the clash tonight. The winner of today&#39;s game will enter the quarterfinals of Champions League.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Tomorrow is a big day! ???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bar%C3%A7aChelsea?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bar&ccedil;aChelsea</a> <a href="https://t.co/e4zYfi8f88">pic.twitter.com/e4zYfi8f88</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/973688269048180736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Antonio Conte-led Chelsea has a chance only if something extraordinary happens. In a recent interview, he said, &quot;The final result of the first leg, give(s) a great advantage to Barcelona, but at the same time I think we know very well the philosophy of Barcelona and for sure they want to try to play their football tomorrow, to try to score and to try to win the game.&quot;

He further added, &quot;When you play against Barcelona, against a team that I consider, Barcelona, one of the best in the world.&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
❗ Iniesta is included in the squad for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bar%C3%A7aChelsea?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bar&ccedil;aChelsea</a> 
All the details ???? <a href="https://t.co/dMDd6ioYhI">https://t.co/dMDd6ioYhI</a> ???? <a href="https://t.co/Y6dT9et0V2">pic.twitter.com/Y6dT9et0V2</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/973642412202569730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

On the other hand, Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said, &quot;We are worried about the danger Chelsea can put us under because they have a great counter-attack and strategy.&quot;

&quot;They have so many virtues, players such as (Eden) Hazard or William who are able to shoot at goal from anywhere on the pitch,&quot; he further added.

He mentioned about Chelsea&#39;s qualities, &quot;I am worried because of that statistic, but even more so because of Chelsea&#39;s qualities.&quot;

With Messi in their line-up, Barcelona has a superior record against nearly every opponent they have faced in Europe, but that is not the case against Chelsea as the &#39;Blues&#39; are unbeaten in their last eight matches.

Squad news:

Chelsea:

Blues have no injury issues and back with Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger as he missed the last clash against Crystal Palace.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Spirits high at the Camp Nou! ???? <a href="https://t.co/F9IlCGPPm9">pic.twitter.com/F9IlCGPPm9</a>
&mdash; Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChelseaFC/status/973626363021324289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

FC Barcelona:

Andres Iniesta was spotted training so fans are expecting his return in the big clash as he suffered a hamstring injury.

Lionel Messi is back into the action as he missed his last match due to the birth of his third baby.

Philippe Coutinho won&#39;t he is ineligible for the match having previously played for Liverpool in the group stage of the competition before the transfer.

Nelson Semedo and midfielder Denis Su&aacute;rez are also both out with injuries.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
???? Squad list 
???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bar%C3%A7aChelsea?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bar&ccedil;aChelsea</a> <a href="https://t.co/7YgKzKnl1U">pic.twitter.com/7YgKzKnl1U</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/973631752395808776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

With Messi in their line-up, Barcelona has a superior record against nearly every opponent they have faced in Europe, but that is not the case against Chelsea as the 'Blues' are unbeaten in their last eight matches

"In the first leg, we made a mistake we paid a lot because of this mistake" - Antonio Conte, Chelsea manager Remember what the mistake was, see the highlights of the last clash: Conte is talking about the loophole in Chelsea's defence when Iniesta's beautiful assist to Messi equalised the score in the 75the minute to relax the Barcelona fans and followers. FC Barcelona will host Chelsea in a decisive second leg clash of the of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 at their home ground Camp Nou on Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning. The match will start at 1:15 pm local time. The nailbiting first leg tied 1-1 and now both the teams are ready to carry forward the clash tonight. The winner of today's game will enter the quarterfinals of Champions League. Tomorrow is a big day! ???????? #BarçaChelsea pic.twitter.com/e4zYfi8f88 — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 13, 2018 × Antonio Conte-led Chelsea has a chance only if something extraordinary happens. In a recent interview, he said, "The final result of the first leg, give(s) a great advantage to Barcelona, but at the same time I think we know very well the philosophy of Barcelona and for sure they want to try to play their football tomorrow, to try to score and to try to win the game." He further added, "When you play against Barcelona, against a team that I consider, Barcelona, one of the best in the world." ❗ Iniesta is included in the squad for #BarçaChelsea All the details ???? https://t.co/dMDd6ioYhI ???? pic.twitter.com/Y6dT9et0V2 — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 13, 2018 × On the other hand, Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said, "We are worried about the danger Chelsea can put us under because they have a great counter-attack and strategy." "They have so many virtues, players such as (Eden) Hazard or William who are able to shoot at goal from anywhere on the pitch," he further added. He mentioned about Chelsea's qualities, "I am worried because of that statistic, but even more so because of Chelsea's qualities." With Messi in their line-up, Barcelona has a superior record against nearly every opponent they have faced in Europe, but that is not the case against Chelsea as the 'Blues' are unbeaten in their last eight matches. Squad news: Chelsea: Blues have no injury issues and back with Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger as he missed the last clash against Crystal Palace. Spirits high at the Camp Nou! ???? pic.twitter.com/F9IlCGPPm9 — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 13, 2018 × FC Barcelona: Andres Iniesta was spotted training so fans are expecting his return in the big clash as he suffered a hamstring injury. Lionel Messi is back into the action as he missed his last match due to the birth of his third baby. Philippe Coutinho won't he is ineligible for the match having previously played for Liverpool in the group stage of the competition before the transfer. Nelson Semedo and midfielder Denis Suárez are also both out with injuries. ???? Squad list ???????? #BarçaChelsea pic.twitter.com/7YgKzKnl1U — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 13, 2018 ×

Champions League preview: Barcelona to host Chelsea at Camp Nou

Willian inspired Chelsea&#39;s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday as the Blues got back to winning ways ahead of their Champions League showdown with Barcelona.

After successive defeats by Manchester City and Manchester United, injury-hit Palace proved to be the ideal opponents for Antonio Conte&#39;s side at Stamford Bridge.

Willian opened the scoring in the first half and Martin Kelly&#39;s own goal doubled the champions&#39; lead before the break.

A late goal for Palace by Patrick van Aanholt made things uncomfortable in the closing stages, but it was a valuable victory for Chelsea over a London rival who had proved troublesome in recent seasons.

Fifth-placed Chelsea are now two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, who face Bournemouth on Sunday as the battle hots up for places in next season&#39;s Champions League.

For now, Chelsea can focus on this season&#39;s edition of the Champions League, in which they travel to Barcelona on Wednesday with the last-16 tie level at 1-1 after the first leg.

Palace had beaten Chelsea in their previous two encounters and won on their past two visits to Stamford Bridge, but they have now lost four games in succession and remain in the bottom three.

Olivier Giroud went close twice for Chelsea and both Christian Benteke and Andros Townsend missed as the two sides traded early chances.

But after that, it was Chelsea, with Davide Zappacosta given the freedom of the right flank, who enjoyed the majority of possession, even if their final pass was often inaccurate and too many shots were comfortably close to Wayne Hennessey.

Willian got it right after 25 minutes. Gaining possession five yards from the left touchline, the Brazilian cut in past two covering players and shot from 25 yards with his right foot.&nbsp;

The ball seemed to take a fractional deflection as it sped past Kelly and Giroud and went in off the near post.

Farcical goal

It was 2-0 seven minutes later with a goal that was as elegant in its creation as it was farcical in its final moments.

Cesc Fabregas began it with an inch-perfect pass out to Marcos Alonso on the left.

Willian dummied the wing-back&#39;s cross for Eden Hazard to collect and spread play out to Zappacosta. His angled shot hit Kelly, bounced off the head of Hennessey, back onto Kelly, and in.

Palace was reeling. Giroud&#39;s header was cleared off the goal-line and Alonso&#39;s volley was blocked.

It would have been 3-0 if James Tomkins had not anticipated Giroud&#39;s shot from Hazard&#39;s pass and dived in to block.

Roy Hodgson sent on Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha for the second half in place of Benteke, and it almost paid off instantly.

Zaha caught Zappacosta in possession and Alexander Sorloth was left with only Thibaut Courtois to beat.

The Norwegian must have thought his first goal in English football was a formality, but he hit his shot against the post.

Chelsea nearly took advantage of that let-off but Tomkins threw himself in the way of yet another goal-bound shot, this time from Willian, and Hennessey saved from Hazard.

Giroud then hit the post after 66 minutes with a first-time shot from a low cross by Alonso.

But although Chelsea continued to make most of the chances, Zaha&#39;s arrival had boosted Palace.

However, the 90th-minute goal he eventually created for Van Aanholt against his former club came too late.

The left-back&#39;s shot from Zaha&#39;s diagonal pass went almost straight through Courtois but Chelsea held on. 
&nbsp;

Willian inspired Chelsea's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday as the Blues got back to winning ways ahead of their Champions League showdown with Barcelona

Willian inspired Chelsea's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday as the Blues got back to winning ways ahead of their Champions League showdown with Barcelona. After successive defeats by Manchester City and Manchester United, injury-hit Palace proved to be the ideal opponents for Antonio Conte's side at Stamford Bridge. Willian opened the scoring in the first half and Martin Kelly's own goal doubled the champions' lead before the break. A late goal for Palace by Patrick van Aanholt made things uncomfortable in the closing stages, but it was a valuable victory for Chelsea over a London rival who had proved troublesome in recent seasons. Fifth-placed Chelsea are now two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, who face Bournemouth on Sunday as the battle hots up for places in next season's Champions League. For now, Chelsea can focus on this season's edition of the Champions League, in which they travel to Barcelona on Wednesday with the last-16 tie level at 1-1 after the first leg. Palace had beaten Chelsea in their previous two encounters and won on their past two visits to Stamford Bridge, but they have now lost four games in succession and remain in the bottom three. Olivier Giroud went close twice for Chelsea and both Christian Benteke and Andros Townsend missed as the two sides traded early chances. But after that, it was Chelsea, with Davide Zappacosta given the freedom of the right flank, who enjoyed the majority of possession, even if their final pass was often inaccurate and too many shots were comfortably close to Wayne Hennessey. Willian got it right after 25 minutes. Gaining possession five yards from the left touchline, the Brazilian cut in past two covering players and shot from 25 yards with his right foot. The ball seemed to take a fractional deflection as it sped past Kelly and Giroud and went in off the near post. Farcical goal It was 2-0 seven minutes later with a goal that was as elegant in its creation as it was farcical in its final moments. Cesc Fabregas began it with an inch-perfect pass out to Marcos Alonso on the left. Willian dummied the wing-back's cross for Eden Hazard to collect and spread play out to Zappacosta. His angled shot hit Kelly, bounced off the head of Hennessey, back onto Kelly, and in. Palace was reeling. Giroud's header was cleared off the goal-line and Alonso's volley was blocked. It would have been 3-0 if James Tomkins had not anticipated Giroud's shot from Hazard's pass and dived in to block. Roy Hodgson sent on Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha for the second half in place of Benteke, and it almost paid off instantly. Zaha caught Zappacosta in possession and Alexander Sorloth was left with only Thibaut Courtois to beat. The Norwegian must have thought his first goal in English football was a formality, but he hit his shot against the post. Chelsea nearly took advantage of that let-off but Tomkins threw himself in the way of yet another goal-bound shot, this time from Willian, and Hennessey saved from Hazard. Giroud then hit the post after 66 minutes with a first-time shot from a low cross by Alonso. But although Chelsea continued to make most of the chances, Zaha's arrival had boosted Palace. However, the 90th-minute goal he eventually created for Van Aanholt against his former club came too late. The left-back's shot from Zaha's diagonal pass went almost straight through Courtois but Chelsea held on.

Chelsea register vital victory ahead of Barca clash

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte praised the all-round contribution of Willian after the in-form Brazilian helped halt a run of back-to-back league defeats ahead of next week`s showdown with Barcelona in Europe.

Willian`s deflected shot opened the scoring in Saturday`s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace, and it was his clever dummy that created the second, an own goal by Martin Kelly.

He has scored five goals in five games, the best run of his Chelsea career, which is timely ahead of Wednesday`s Champions League last 16, second leg match in Barcelona.&nbsp;

But Conte was also pleased by the forward`s hard work off the ball.

&quot;You can see when a player is in great form, I`m the first to pick him in the starting 11,&quot; the Italian said. &quot;He`s playing in a fantastic way but, I want to underline, not only with the ball - also without the ball. He`s working very hard and he`s helping the team.

&quot;I think that he has shown great maturity at this point of his career. In my heart I hope to see him at this level, continuing these performances. It`s very important to have a balance in the team because when you don`t have that balance anything can happen.&quot;

Willian also had a shot blocked on the line by James Tomkins and a free-kick saved by Wayne Hennessey as Chelsea went for a third goal, eventually leaving themselves open to a late consolation for Palace. Olivier Giroud might have had a hat-trick but is still waiting for his first Chelsea goal in the Premier League.

&quot;We made a lot of chances and it was a pity that they scored the goal and we had three minutes that were a bit nervous,&quot; Conte said. &quot;You hope to finish the game more relaxed. But it wasn`t just Olivier. Many players have had chances to score, not only Olivier.&nbsp;

&quot;We must be pleased with his commitment. He hit the post and in the first half a defender cleared a chance. He was a bit unlucky.

&quot;For sure in this league you must keep your focus the whole game but we tried to score the third goal and made a lot of chances. Sometimes you can think that the situation is easier but we played a good game, with a great desire to win. The commitment was good and we must be happy.&nbsp;

&quot;But the game against Barcelona will be very different. We will have to show great resilience. We will be playing against one of the best teams in the world. We have to find the right plan to face this game.&quot;The introduction of Wilfried Zaha after six games out with a knee injury boosted Crystal Palace in the second half but by the time he set up Patrick van Aanholt for a 90th-minute consolation goal, there was no way back for the Eagles.

&quot;It`s a shame we didn`t play the whole of the game as we played the second half,&quot; Roy Hodgson, the Palace manager, said. &quot;We came in 2-0 down and against a team of Chelsea`s pace and power on the break it could have ended very badly. The introduction of Wilfried asked some questions and in the end we could have drawn the game.&quot;

But Hodgson dismissed suggestions that he could have let Zaha start the game. &quot;If I`d started with Zaha and he`d broken down - after only one and a half training sessions - the question would have been very different. I wanted to keep him on the bench longer.&quot;

 
And Hodgson was encouraged by the display, following the narrow 3-2 defeat by Manchester United. &quot;We`ve had defeats against top teams but haven`t discredited ourselves. It`s very clear what we`ve got to do in the remaining games.&quot;

Willian`s deflected shot opened the scoring in Saturday`s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte praised the all-round contribution of Willian after the in-form Brazilian helped halt a run of back-to-back league defeats ahead of next week`s showdown with Barcelona in Europe. Willian`s deflected shot opened the scoring in Saturday`s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace, and it was his clever dummy that created the second, an own goal by Martin Kelly. He has scored five goals in five games, the best run of his Chelsea career, which is timely ahead of Wednesday`s Champions League last 16, second leg match in Barcelona. But Conte was also pleased by the forward`s hard work off the ball. "You can see when a player is in great form, I`m the first to pick him in the starting 11," the Italian said. "He`s playing in a fantastic way but, I want to underline, not only with the ball - also without the ball. He`s working very hard and he`s helping the team. "I think that he has shown great maturity at this point of his career. In my heart I hope to see him at this level, continuing these performances. It`s very important to have a balance in the team because when you don`t have that balance anything can happen." Willian also had a shot blocked on the line by James Tomkins and a free-kick saved by Wayne Hennessey as Chelsea went for a third goal, eventually leaving themselves open to a late consolation for Palace. Olivier Giroud might have had a hat-trick but is still waiting for his first Chelsea goal in the Premier League. "We made a lot of chances and it was a pity that they scored the goal and we had three minutes that were a bit nervous," Conte said. "You hope to finish the game more relaxed. But it wasn`t just Olivier. Many players have had chances to score, not only Olivier. "We must be pleased with his commitment. He hit the post and in the first half a defender cleared a chance. He was a bit unlucky. "For sure in this league you must keep your focus the whole game but we tried to score the third goal and made a lot of chances. Sometimes you can think that the situation is easier but we played a good game, with a great desire to win. The commitment was good and we must be happy. "But the game against Barcelona will be very different. We will have to show great resilience. We will be playing against one of the best teams in the world. We have to find the right plan to face this game."The introduction of Wilfried Zaha after six games out with a knee injury boosted Crystal Palace in the second half but by the time he set up Patrick van Aanholt for a 90th-minute consolation goal, there was no way back for the Eagles. "It`s a shame we didn`t play the whole of the game as we played the second half," Roy Hodgson, the Palace manager, said. "We came in 2-0 down and against a team of Chelsea`s pace and power on the break it could have ended very badly. The introduction of Wilfried asked some questions and in the end we could have drawn the game." But Hodgson dismissed suggestions that he could have let Zaha start the game. "If I`d started with Zaha and he`d broken down - after only one and a half training sessions - the question would have been very different. I wanted to keep him on the bench longer." And Hodgson was encouraged by the display, following the narrow 3-2 defeat by Manchester United. "We`ve had defeats against top teams but haven`t discredited ourselves. It`s very clear what we`ve got to do in the remaining games."

Conte lauds Willian as Chelsea set sights on Barcelona

Juventus relied on their warrior instincts, according to midfielder Blaise Matuidi, as they stunned Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 to reach the Champions League quarter-finals 4-3 on aggregate at Wembley on Wednesday.

Needing to score twice in the second half, the Italians appeared to be heading out until goals by Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala in the 64th and 67th minutes cancelled out Son Heung-min&#39;s opener for Tottenham, ending a poor run against English clubs in two-legged European ties.

Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea had all beaten Juventus in the knockout phase of the Champions League and they lost to Fulham in the Europa League.

But Massimiliano Allegri&#39;s side are made of sterner stuff, as they have proved by reaching two of the last three Champions League finals and now going on a 21-match unbeaten run in all competitions this season.

&quot;We weren&#39;t in a great position after the 2-2 at home. We knew we could score here, we did that,&quot; 30-year-old Frenchman Matuidi, who missed the first leg, told reporters.

&quot;We were up against a very very good team that has super players and plays good football. They finished top of their group. It was a challenge, one that we faced with heart and a warrior spirit and that made the difference.&quot;

No one typifies that more than 36-year-old Andrea Barzagli, a rugged no-nonsense pillar in a back four with more than 170 Champions League appearances between them.

When Tottenham threw everything at Juve in a desperate late assault to salvage their dream, he along with Giorgio Chiellini, Medhi Benatia and Alex Sandro stood firm in the storm.

Barzagli believes it is their kindred spirit that will make Juve feared quarter-final opponents.

&quot;We can really achieve anything with this great character, we played badly for over one hour and than turned everything around with two great goals,&quot; he said.

&quot;We were also lucky, but I think you deserve luck when you are ready to fight and sacrifice as we did tonight.&quot;

Chiellini said a calmness under pressure had allowed Juve to reach the quarter-final for the third time in their last five appearances in the competition.

&quot;At halftime we told ourselves that we had to remain calm despite suffering so much because our chances would come,&quot; he said.

&quot;Tottenham proved to be a great team, I think they are missing very little in becoming one of the best teams in Europe, maybe some experience.

&quot;A few years ago we were in the same place, and reaching two finals in the last three seasons helped us to better handle these kinds of games.&quot;

Allegri, whose decision to send on fresh legs in the shape of Kwadwo Asamoah and Stephan Lichtsteiner on the hour proved a masterstroke, praised his side&#39;s durability.

&quot;The lads were patient to wait for the right moment to hit them,&quot; he said. &quot;Considering the whole 180 minutes, I think our qualification was deserved.

&quot;In the first half we suffered a lot against a team with great quality. I decided that we needed fresh legs on the flanks, so I put Asamoah and Lichtsteiner in. I&#39;m happy it paid off.&quot;

Juventus relied on their warrior instincts, according to midfielder Blaise Matuidi, as they stunned Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 to reach the Champions League quarter-finals 4-3 on aggregate at Wembley

Juventus relied on their warrior instincts, according to midfielder Blaise Matuidi, as they stunned Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 to reach the Champions League quarter-finals 4-3 on aggregate at Wembley on Wednesday. Needing to score twice in the second half, the Italians appeared to be heading out until goals by Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala in the 64th and 67th minutes cancelled out Son Heung-min's opener for Tottenham, ending a poor run against English clubs in two-legged European ties. Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea had all beaten Juventus in the knockout phase of the Champions League and they lost to Fulham in the Europa League. But Massimiliano Allegri's side are made of sterner stuff, as they have proved by reaching two of the last three Champions League finals and now going on a 21-match unbeaten run in all competitions this season. "We weren't in a great position after the 2-2 at home. We knew we could score here, we did that," 30-year-old Frenchman Matuidi, who missed the first leg, told reporters. "We were up against a very very good team that has super players and plays good football. They finished top of their group. It was a challenge, one that we faced with heart and a warrior spirit and that made the difference." No one typifies that more than 36-year-old Andrea Barzagli, a rugged no-nonsense pillar in a back four with more than 170 Champions League appearances between them. When Tottenham threw everything at Juve in a desperate late assault to salvage their dream, he along with Giorgio Chiellini, Medhi Benatia and Alex Sandro stood firm in the storm. Barzagli believes it is their kindred spirit that will make Juve feared quarter-final opponents. "We can really achieve anything with this great character, we played badly for over one hour and than turned everything around with two great goals," he said. "We were also lucky, but I think you deserve luck when you are ready to fight and sacrifice as we did tonight." Chiellini said a calmness under pressure had allowed Juve to reach the quarter-final for the third time in their last five appearances in the competition. "At halftime we told ourselves that we had to remain calm despite suffering so much because our chances would come," he said. "Tottenham proved to be a great team, I think they are missing very little in becoming one of the best teams in Europe, maybe some experience. "A few years ago we were in the same place, and reaching two finals in the last three seasons helped us to better handle these kinds of games." Allegri, whose decision to send on fresh legs in the shape of Kwadwo Asamoah and Stephan Lichtsteiner on the hour proved a masterstroke, praised his side's durability. "The lads were patient to wait for the right moment to hit them," he said. "Considering the whole 180 minutes, I think our qualification was deserved. "In the first half we suffered a lot against a team with great quality. I decided that we needed fresh legs on the flanks, so I put Asamoah and Lichtsteiner in. I'm happy it paid off."

Champions league: Matuidi praises Juventus's warrior spirit after victory over Spurs

&quot;I think the pundit has to use the head when you speak tactics because you must have the knowledge to speak about tactics,&quot; said&nbsp;Chelsea manager Antonio Conte while defending&nbsp;the tactics of his team in the Sunday&#39;s match, which they eventually lost by 0-1 against the table leader Manchester City.

Conte defended his cautious approach despite his side failing to register a shot on target as they went down 1-0 to Premier League champions-elect Manchester City.

The Italian&#39;s tactics were lambasted by pundits and Chelsea fans alike as he started without a recognised striker by leaving club-record signing Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud on the bench.

City moved 18 points clear at the top of the table, and 25 ahead of Chelsea in fifth, as Bernardo Silva&#39;s goal 35 seconds into the second half broke the visitors&#39; resistance.

However, Conte claimed it would be &quot;stupid&quot; to open up against the runaway league leaders, citing criticism of Arsenal`s back-to-back 3-0 defeats to City in the League Cup final and Premier League in the past week.

&quot;I&#39;m not so stupid to play against Man City open and lose 3-0 or 4-0,&quot; said Conte.

&quot;If I remember well, Arsenal three days ago played against them and you criticise (Arsene) Wenger because they concede three goals.

Chelsea, though, had no response after going behind as Conte waited until 12 minutes from time to introduce Giroud, whilst Morata wasn`t brought on until the final minute when he replaced Chelsea&#39;s top scorer Eden Hazard.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Great performance boys! A step closer! ???????????????????????? <a href="https://t.co/pfG1tbk2gB">pic.twitter.com/pfG1tbk2gB</a>
&mdash; David Silva (@21LVA) <a href="https://twitter.com/21LVA/status/970369878766112768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The Belgian ploughed a lonely furrow as an auxiliary central forward but had no impact on the game before trudging off with his head bowed to make way for Morata.

&quot;I try to wait because the (Morata) substitution was with (Eden) Hazard and you hope until the end that a player like Hazard can invent something in the game,&quot; added Conte.

A fourth defeat in five Premier League games leaves Chelsea&#39;s ambitions of Champions League football next season in serious peril.

Conte&#39;s men now trail Tottenham Hotspur in fourth by five points. 
However, the former Juventus boss insisted it wasn&#39;t his side&#39;s performance at the Etihad that will come back to haunt them if they fail to make the top four.

&quot;We must have a big regret for the defeat against Bournemouth, Watford, (Manchester) United, but I don&#39;t think today because today we played against a team that is showing to be a strong team,&quot; he said.

&quot;Today they showed the difference between them and us in this moment. Twenty-five points is a big gap and I think that we can have a regret for the other games but not for this.&quot;

City boss Pep Guardiola wouldn`t be drawn on Chelsea`s tactics as his side registered 902 passes - the most of any team in a Premier League game for 14 years.

However, he hailed the standards set by his players.

&quot;In all aspects we were better. We make an amazing high pressing, they could not contact with Hazard, Willian or Pedro (Rodriguez).

&quot;We didn&#39;t concede one shot on target, we create enough chances to win, and I think we made an amazing performance because (it) is against Chelsea, the last champion.&quot;

Guardiola admitted even he has been surprised by the extent of City&#39;s dominance this season, but insisted it is to their credit rather than the other contenders falling away.

&quot;To have the distance from five or six contenders: 25 to Chelsea; 33 for Arsenal; United tomorrow (are) going to play; 20 to Tottenham, in March it is a lot.

&quot;I think Tottenham, Liverpool, United even, they make good results but we were so good so far.&quot;

&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Manchester City moved 18 points clear at the top of the table, and 25 ahead of Chelsea in fifth, as Bernardo Silva's goal 35 seconds into the second half broke the visitors' resistance

"I think the pundit has to use the head when you speak tactics because you must have the knowledge to speak about tactics," said Chelsea manager Antonio Conte while defending the tactics of his team in the Sunday's match, which they eventually lost by 0-1 against the table leader Manchester City. Conte defended his cautious approach despite his side failing to register a shot on target as they went down 1-0 to Premier League champions-elect Manchester City. The Italian's tactics were lambasted by pundits and Chelsea fans alike as he started without a recognised striker by leaving club-record signing Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud on the bench. City moved 18 points clear at the top of the table, and 25 ahead of Chelsea in fifth, as Bernardo Silva's goal 35 seconds into the second half broke the visitors' resistance. However, Conte claimed it would be "stupid" to open up against the runaway league leaders, citing criticism of Arsenal`s back-to-back 3-0 defeats to City in the League Cup final and Premier League in the past week. "I'm not so stupid to play against Man City open and lose 3-0 or 4-0," said Conte. "If I remember well, Arsenal three days ago played against them and you criticise (Arsene) Wenger because they concede three goals. Chelsea, though, had no response after going behind as Conte waited until 12 minutes from time to introduce Giroud, whilst Morata wasn`t brought on until the final minute when he replaced Chelsea's top scorer Eden Hazard. Great performance boys! A step closer! ???????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/pfG1tbk2gB — David Silva (@21LVA) March 4, 2018 × The Belgian ploughed a lonely furrow as an auxiliary central forward but had no impact on the game before trudging off with his head bowed to make way for Morata. "I try to wait because the (Morata) substitution was with (Eden) Hazard and you hope until the end that a player like Hazard can invent something in the game," added Conte. A fourth defeat in five Premier League games leaves Chelsea's ambitions of Champions League football next season in serious peril. Conte's men now trail Tottenham Hotspur in fourth by five points. However, the former Juventus boss insisted it wasn't his side's performance at the Etihad that will come back to haunt them if they fail to make the top four. "We must have a big regret for the defeat against Bournemouth, Watford, (Manchester) United, but I don't think today because today we played against a team that is showing to be a strong team," he said. "Today they showed the difference between them and us in this moment. Twenty-five points is a big gap and I think that we can have a regret for the other games but not for this." City boss Pep Guardiola wouldn`t be drawn on Chelsea`s tactics as his side registered 902 passes - the most of any team in a Premier League game for 14 years. However, he hailed the standards set by his players. "In all aspects we were better. We make an amazing high pressing, they could not contact with Hazard, Willian or Pedro (Rodriguez). "We didn't concede one shot on target, we create enough chances to win, and I think we made an amazing performance because (it) is against Chelsea, the last champion." Guardiola admitted even he has been surprised by the extent of City's dominance this season, but insisted it is to their credit rather than the other contenders falling away. "To have the distance from five or six contenders: 25 to Chelsea; 33 for Arsenal; United tomorrow (are) going to play; 20 to Tottenham, in March it is a lot. "I think Tottenham, Liverpool, United even, they make good results but we were so good so far."

Bernardo Silva thrashes Chelsea's 'tactics' to stretch City's lead

Romelu Lukaku broke his barren run against top six Premier League opposition and provided the winner for Jesse Lingard as Manchester United came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford.

Victory against his former club was particularly sweet for Jose Mourinho as he got one over on Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, but more importantly moves United back above Liverpool into second place in the Premier League.

Defeat allied to Tottenham Hotspur`s late win earlier in the day at Crystal Palace sees Chelsea slip to fifth.

The visitors enjoyed the better of the first period but failed to build on Willian`s 32nd minute opener.

Lukaku levelled seven minutes later from close range and then crossed for substitute Lingard to head home as a ruthless United took full advantage of their limited chances.&nbsp;

The spectre of another fiery clash between Mourinho and Conte, who have publicly bickered in recent months, hogged the headlines before kick-off, but there was a peace offering when the pair shook hands before the action got underway.

Mourinho recalled Paul Pogba to his starting XI after dropping the &pound;89 million (100 million euros, $124 million) midfielder for Wednesday`s stalemate at Sevilla in the Champions League.

But it was one of Conte`s two changes from his side`s 1-1 draw with Barcelona in midweek who nearly made an immediate impact.

Alvaro Morata started for the first time in six weeks, but saw his side-footed volley from Marcos Alonso`s driven cross come back off the bar just four minutes in.

Chelsea dominated possession in the opening quarter, but much like they did to Barcelona on Tuesday with limited time on the ball, United restricted them to few other clear-cut chances.

United had offered little going forward themselves until Anthony Martial`s low cross picked out Alexis Sanchez inside the area.

However, the Chilean is still waiting for his first big moment since joining United last month as he poked the ball tamely into the arms of Thibaut Courtois.Moments later, the hosts were caught by a blistering Chelsea counter-attack to open the scoring.

Willian picked up the ball just outside his own area and drove through the United midfield before exchanging passes with Eden Hazard.

The Brazilian then unleashed a shot too powerful even for David de Gea to register his fourth goal in three games.

The lead lasted just seven minutes, though, as for the first time in a United shirt, Lukaku netted against one of their top six rivals -- at the seventh time of asking.

Sanchez fed Martial and his clever reverse pass was slotted home by Lukaku to muted celebrations against his former club.

Lukaku nearly had a spectacular second 22 minutes from time when he caught a Sanchez cross flush with an acrobatic volley, only to be denied by a finger tip save from Courtois.

However, the Belgian did make a decisive contribution when he dropped deep and his in-swinging cross was met by a perfectly timed run by Lingard.

Conte had surprisingly removed Hazard just before conceding and that decision looked all the more puzzling as Chelsea searched in vain for an equaliser.

Willian saw another effort smothered by De Gea at the second attempt at his near post as United held out for just a second win over Chelsea in 15 meetings.

The visitors enjoyed the better of the first period

Romelu Lukaku broke his barren run against top six Premier League opposition and provided the winner for Jesse Lingard as Manchester United came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford. Victory against his former club was particularly sweet for Jose Mourinho as he got one over on Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, but more importantly moves United back above Liverpool into second place in the Premier League. Defeat allied to Tottenham Hotspur`s late win earlier in the day at Crystal Palace sees Chelsea slip to fifth. The visitors enjoyed the better of the first period but failed to build on Willian`s 32nd minute opener. Lukaku levelled seven minutes later from close range and then crossed for substitute Lingard to head home as a ruthless United took full advantage of their limited chances. The spectre of another fiery clash between Mourinho and Conte, who have publicly bickered in recent months, hogged the headlines before kick-off, but there was a peace offering when the pair shook hands before the action got underway. Mourinho recalled Paul Pogba to his starting XI after dropping the £89 million (100 million euros, $124 million) midfielder for Wednesday`s stalemate at Sevilla in the Champions League. But it was one of Conte`s two changes from his side`s 1-1 draw with Barcelona in midweek who nearly made an immediate impact. Alvaro Morata started for the first time in six weeks, but saw his side-footed volley from Marcos Alonso`s driven cross come back off the bar just four minutes in. Chelsea dominated possession in the opening quarter, but much like they did to Barcelona on Tuesday with limited time on the ball, United restricted them to few other clear-cut chances. United had offered little going forward themselves until Anthony Martial`s low cross picked out Alexis Sanchez inside the area. However, the Chilean is still waiting for his first big moment since joining United last month as he poked the ball tamely into the arms of Thibaut Courtois.Moments later, the hosts were caught by a blistering Chelsea counter-attack to open the scoring. Willian picked up the ball just outside his own area and drove through the United midfield before exchanging passes with Eden Hazard. The Brazilian then unleashed a shot too powerful even for David de Gea to register his fourth goal in three games. The lead lasted just seven minutes, though, as for the first time in a United shirt, Lukaku netted against one of their top six rivals -- at the seventh time of asking. Sanchez fed Martial and his clever reverse pass was slotted home by Lukaku to muted celebrations against his former club. Lukaku nearly had a spectacular second 22 minutes from time when he caught a Sanchez cross flush with an acrobatic volley, only to be denied by a finger tip save from Courtois. However, the Belgian did make a decisive contribution when he dropped deep and his in-swinging cross was met by a perfectly timed run by Lingard. Conte had surprisingly removed Hazard just before conceding and that decision looked all the more puzzling as Chelsea searched in vain for an equaliser. Willian saw another effort smothered by De Gea at the second attempt at his near post as United held out for just a second win over Chelsea in 15 meetings.

Manchester United beat Chelsea 2-1 in Premier League

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte believes the English champions can do &quot;something incredible&quot; by knocking Barcelona out of the Champions League at the Camp Nou on March 14, despite blowing a lead to draw the first leg of their last-16 tie 1-1.

Willian gave reason to a bold team selection from Conte on Tuesday by putting the English champions ahead just after the hour mark, having also hit the woodwork twice before half-time.

However, Barca pounced on a very rare Chelsea mistake on the night as Andres Iniesta intercepted a slack pass by Andreas Christensen and squared for Lionel Messi to slot home his first goal in nine appearances against Chelsea.

&quot;We must be realistic. We are talking about Barcelona. They show tonight to be a strong, fantastic team,&quot; said Conte.

&quot;We have showed that if we are ready to work very hard together defensively, but continue to have the right feeling when you win the ball when you have the chance to score, we can try to do something incredible at the Nou Camp.&quot;

Conte named a front three without a recognised centre-forward with Willian and Pedro Rodriguez either side of Eden Hazard, while the 21-year-old Christensen started in place of club captain Gary Cahill.

And Conte refused to pin the blame on the inexperienced Dane for conceding.

&quot;I think it was a great performance, an incredible performance,&quot; added Conte.

&quot;We&#39;re talking about a player he&#39;s only 21. It&#39;s great that he can play this game with this maturity. I am very happy. For me he was one of the best players tonight.&quot;

&#39;Like a handball match&#39;

Barcelona enjoyed nearly 70 percent of the possession, but lacked the penetration to open up Chelsea&#39;s well-organised defence.

&quot;At times it seemed like a handball match, because they sat back and waited,&quot; said Barca midfielder Ivan Rakitic.

&quot;It is difficult when they have eight players behind the ball.&quot;

However, Conte defended his tactics, saying it would be &quot;crazy&quot; to approach facing Barcelona any other way.

&quot;When you play against Barcelona you know very well that if you want to face them box-to-box then you are crazy and you go to lose the game, not 1-0, (but) 4, 5, 6-0,&quot; said Conte.

&quot;You must play with intelligence, especially if you know that (Barca) level is up on us. You must play an intelligent game, we are not stupid.&quot;

Chelsea&#39;s former Barca midfielder Cesc Fabregas, though, stressed the importance of going to Catalonia in three weeks&#39; time with attacking intent rather than just trying to keep Barcelona at bay for as long as possible.

&quot;We have to go there to attack and score because 90 minutes defending at the Nou Camp is an eternity,&quot; said Fabregas, who played for Barca between 2011 and 2014. &quot;It is a suicide mission.&quot;

Messi&#39;s goal was the first a Barcelona player has scored in an away Champions League match for six games.

And whilst Barca boss Ernesto Valverde welcomed the slight advantage gained from a sub-standard performance, he warned Chelsea possess the threat on the counter-attack to still land a knockout blow.

&quot;It is very important to have scored here and logically both teams will respect their own style in the second leg. They have the attacking resources to cause us problems.

&quot;It is important to have the advantage, but it is far from decided.&quot;

Chelsea drew Barcelona 1-1 at Stamford Bridge in the first leg

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte believes the English champions can do "something incredible" by knocking Barcelona out of the Champions League at the Camp Nou on March 14, despite blowing a lead to draw the first leg of their last-16 tie 1-1. Willian gave reason to a bold team selection from Conte on Tuesday by putting the English champions ahead just after the hour mark, having also hit the woodwork twice before half-time. However, Barca pounced on a very rare Chelsea mistake on the night as Andres Iniesta intercepted a slack pass by Andreas Christensen and squared for Lionel Messi to slot home his first goal in nine appearances against Chelsea. "We must be realistic. We are talking about Barcelona. They show tonight to be a strong, fantastic team," said Conte. "We have showed that if we are ready to work very hard together defensively, but continue to have the right feeling when you win the ball when you have the chance to score, we can try to do something incredible at the Nou Camp." Conte named a front three without a recognised centre-forward with Willian and Pedro Rodriguez either side of Eden Hazard, while the 21-year-old Christensen started in place of club captain Gary Cahill. And Conte refused to pin the blame on the inexperienced Dane for conceding. "I think it was a great performance, an incredible performance," added Conte. "We're talking about a player he's only 21. It's great that he can play this game with this maturity. I am very happy. For me he was one of the best players tonight." 'Like a handball match' Barcelona enjoyed nearly 70 percent of the possession, but lacked the penetration to open up Chelsea's well-organised defence. "At times it seemed like a handball match, because they sat back and waited," said Barca midfielder Ivan Rakitic. "It is difficult when they have eight players behind the ball." However, Conte defended his tactics, saying it would be "crazy" to approach facing Barcelona any other way. "When you play against Barcelona you know very well that if you want to face them box-to-box then you are crazy and you go to lose the game, not 1-0, (but) 4, 5, 6-0," said Conte. "You must play with intelligence, especially if you know that (Barca) level is up on us. You must play an intelligent game, we are not stupid." Chelsea's former Barca midfielder Cesc Fabregas, though, stressed the importance of going to Catalonia in three weeks' time with attacking intent rather than just trying to keep Barcelona at bay for as long as possible. "We have to go there to attack and score because 90 minutes defending at the Nou Camp is an eternity," said Fabregas, who played for Barca between 2011 and 2014. "It is a suicide mission." Messi's goal was the first a Barcelona player has scored in an away Champions League match for six games. And whilst Barca boss Ernesto Valverde welcomed the slight advantage gained from a sub-standard performance, he warned Chelsea possess the threat on the counter-attack to still land a knockout blow. "It is very important to have scored here and logically both teams will respect their own style in the second leg. They have the attacking resources to cause us problems. "It is important to have the advantage, but it is far from decided."

Chelsea capable of the 'incredible' to spring Barca surprise: Conte

The first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 between <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-match-preview-of-barcelona-vs-chelsea-33534">FC Barcelona and Chelsea</a> ended with a 1-1 score.

The third time lucky Willian scored a stunner in the second half to give <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/good-to-be-compared-with-messi-eden-hazard-33431">Chelsea 1-0 lead</a>.

In the first half, Willian proved two-time unlucky as he hit side post twice from both the wings, if not, then Chelsea would have leading the game by 3-0 and Willian scoring a hat-trick.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
GOAL!!! 1-0!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CHEBAR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CHEBAR</a> <a href="https://t.co/UjIUmhdgrI">pic.twitter.com/UjIUmhdgrI</a>
&mdash; Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChelseaFC/status/966056319827480577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Iniesta&#39;s beautiful assist to Messi equalises the score in the 75the minute to&nbsp;relax&nbsp;the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/here-is-why-philippe-coutinho-is-not-playing-against-chelsea-33539">Barcelona fans</a> and followers.

After the match, Iniesta said, &quot;Chelsea are one of the best teams in Europe and in general we played well. The second leg will also be a tough contest.&quot;

It was not only the mesmerising moment of a reverse pass and accurate hit into the bottom corner of the net also a sloppy piece of defence tackle by Andreas Christensen was the reason.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
&quot;Leo Messi has n̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ scored against Chelsea.&quot; 
&hellip; 
✅ Done. <a href="https://t.co/3NlCQIvLha">pic.twitter.com/3NlCQIvLha</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/966060110073114625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Lionel Messi had a jinx of not scoring against English clubs which he broke today by scoring an equalizer and also his first goal against Chelsea in the last nine matches.

However, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/here-is-why-philippe-coutinho-is-not-playing-against-chelsea-33539">Barca</a> remains unbeaten in 31 La Liga and Champions League games under Ernesto Valverde thanks to a late rally.

The first warning&nbsp;was given by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/good-to-be-compared-with-messi-eden-hazard-33431">Eden Hazard</a> when he&nbsp;fired just over from 20 yards five minutes in.

The match&nbsp;revolved around Chelsea striker Willian, either he was missing to score or playing exponentially amazing with bleeding nose.

So, a&nbsp;big shout out to Willian&#39;s performance, brilliance and fighting spirit and his ability to score from outside the box off either foot.

The English defending champions must now score when they travel to the Camp Nou on March 14 to have any chance of making the last eight.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-match-preview-of-barcelona-vs-chelsea-33534">Click here</a> to know what was expected of this clash.

&nbsp;

Lionel Messi struck for the first time in nine games against Chelsea to give Barcelona a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League

The first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 between FC Barcelona and Chelsea ended with a 1-1 score. The third time lucky Willian scored a stunner in the second half to give Chelsea 1-0 lead. In the first half, Willian proved two-time unlucky as he hit side post twice from both the wings, if not, then Chelsea would have leading the game by 3-0 and Willian scoring a hat-trick. GOAL!!! 1-0!!! #CHEBAR pic.twitter.com/UjIUmhdgrI — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 20, 2018 × Iniesta's beautiful assist to Messi equalises the score in the 75the minute to relax the Barcelona fans and followers. After the match, Iniesta said, "Chelsea are one of the best teams in Europe and in general we played well. The second leg will also be a tough contest." It was not only the mesmerising moment of a reverse pass and accurate hit into the bottom corner of the net also a sloppy piece of defence tackle by Andreas Christensen was the reason. "Leo Messi has n̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ scored against Chelsea." … ✅ Done. pic.twitter.com/3NlCQIvLha — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 20, 2018 × Lionel Messi had a jinx of not scoring against English clubs which he broke today by scoring an equalizer and also his first goal against Chelsea in the last nine matches. However, Barca remains unbeaten in 31 La Liga and Champions League games under Ernesto Valverde thanks to a late rally. The first warning was given by Eden Hazard when he fired just over from 20 yards five minutes in. The match revolved around Chelsea striker Willian, either he was missing to score or playing exponentially amazing with bleeding nose. So, a big shout out to Willian's performance, brilliance and fighting spirit and his ability to score from outside the box off either foot. The English defending champions must now score when they travel to the Camp Nou on March 14 to have any chance of making the last eight. Click here to know what was expected of this clash.

Champions League: Lionel Messi breaks jinx after scoring against Chelsea

The first leg of Chelsea vs Barcelona is scheduled for February 21 at Stamford Bridge, London.

It is supposed to be one of the major clashes of Champions Leauge and fans and supporters of both sides have high expectations for their favourite team.

FC Barcelona and support staff have arrived in London and the training has started.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez meet former English footballer and current sports broadcaster, Gary Lineker ahead of Chelsea clash.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NewProfilePic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NewProfilePic</a> for <a href="https://twitter.com/GaryLineker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GaryLineker</a>! ???? <a href="https://t.co/89N6tpQ46B">pic.twitter.com/89N6tpQ46B</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/965711583719538689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Gary Lineker holds England&#39;s record for goals in FIFA World Cup finals with 10 goals.

Lineker began his football career at Leicester City in 1978. He then moved to League Champions Everton.

His first team honours came at Barcelona, where he won the Copa del Rey in 1988 and the European Cup Winners&#39; Cup in 1989.

He returned to England in 1989, joining Tottenham Hotspur, and over three seasons he scored 67 goals in 105 games and won the FA Cup.

&nbsp;

At Barcelona, Gary Lineker won the Copa del Rey in 1988 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1989

The first leg of Chelsea vs Barcelona is scheduled for February 21 at Stamford Bridge, London. It is supposed to be one of the major clashes of Champions Leauge and fans and supporters of both sides have high expectations for their favourite team. FC Barcelona and support staff have arrived in London and the training has started. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez meet former English footballer and current sports broadcaster, Gary Lineker ahead of Chelsea clash. #NewProfilePic for @GaryLineker! ???? pic.twitter.com/89N6tpQ46B — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 19, 2018 × Gary Lineker holds England's record for goals in FIFA World Cup finals with 10 goals. Lineker began his football career at Leicester City in 1978. He then moved to League Champions Everton. His first team honours came at Barcelona, where he won the Copa del Rey in 1988 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1989. He returned to England in 1989, joining Tottenham Hotspur, and over three seasons he scored 67 goals in 105 games and won the FA Cup.

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez meet former Barca star Gary Lineker

The first leg of Chelsea vs Barcelona is scheduled for February 21 at Stamford Bridge, London and will kickoff at 1:15 AM.

It is supposed to be one of the major clashes of Champions League and fans and supporters of both sides have high expectations from&nbsp;their favourite team.

Barcelona is currently having arguably one of the best seasons till now. They have already made it into the final of the Copa del Rey and holds a comfortable lead in the La Liga standings, with many plus points, they will enter the game with a high.

The squad of Barcelona is currently in good form. The strikers,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/lionel-messi-luis-suarez-meet-former-barca-star-gary-lineker-33470">Lionel Messi</a> and Luis Suarez have netted some splendid goals.

They had suffered a big transfer past summer in the form of Neymar Jr&#39;s exit&nbsp;but another Brazilian star compensated the loss.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/here-is-why-philippe-coutinho-is-not-playing-against-chelsea-33539">Philippe Coutinho</a> was added to the Barca squad&nbsp;but unfortunately <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/here-is-why-philippe-coutinho-is-not-playing-against-chelsea-33539">he will&nbsp;not play</a>&nbsp;today&nbsp;after having already appeared in the Champions League this season while playing for Liverpool.

Lots of drama is expected and both the teams are under pressure. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/we-must-be-prepared-to-suffer-says-antonio-conte-33436">Antonio Conte</a>, Chelsea head coach spoke to media on the eve of their UEFA Champions League clash.

He said his team has to pay &quot;great attention&quot; to not only <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/lionel-messi-luis-suarez-meet-former-barca-star-gary-lineker-33470">Messi</a>&nbsp;but the whole team. He mentioned that the current squad&nbsp;is very dangerous.

He <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/we-must-be-prepared-to-suffer-says-antonio-conte-33436">further added</a>, &quot;Barcelona is having a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/good-to-be-compared-with-messi-eden-hazard-33431">fantastic season</a>. They are top of the league and are in the final in the Cup in Spain and they have the potential to win this Cup.

On the other hand, Eden Hazard is expected to be recalled to the team after the Belgian international was rested for the 4-0 win over Hull City in the English FA Cup fifth round.

Nelson Semedo is serving a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation during the group stage.

David Luiz and Tiemoue Bakayoko are injury doubts for Chelsea but Marcos Alonso is set to return. Also, Alvaro Morata and Thibaut Courtois are one of the key players along with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/good-to-be-compared-with-messi-eden-hazard-33431">Eden Hazard</a>.

Here are some quick facts about the match:

Barcelona are attempting to reach the quarter-finals for a record-extending 11th straight year.

Chelsea have only advanced beyond the last 16 once in the past five seasons, losing at this stage to Paris Saint-Germain in their two most recent knockout ties.

This is one of only two last-16 ties featuring a pair of former European champions.

&nbsp;

Chelsea vs Barcelona is scheduled for February 21 at Stamford Bridge, London and will kickoff is at 1:15 AM IST, February 21

The first leg of Chelsea vs Barcelona is scheduled for February 21 at Stamford Bridge, London and will kickoff at 1:15 AM. It is supposed to be one of the major clashes of Champions League and fans and supporters of both sides have high expectations from their favourite team. Barcelona is currently having arguably one of the best seasons till now. They have already made it into the final of the Copa del Rey and holds a comfortable lead in the La Liga standings, with many plus points, they will enter the game with a high. The squad of Barcelona is currently in good form. The strikers, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have netted some splendid goals. They had suffered a big transfer past summer in the form of Neymar Jr's exit but another Brazilian star compensated the loss. Philippe Coutinho was added to the Barca squad but unfortunately he will not play today after having already appeared in the Champions League this season while playing for Liverpool. Lots of drama is expected and both the teams are under pressure. Antonio Conte, Chelsea head coach spoke to media on the eve of their UEFA Champions League clash. He said his team has to pay "great attention" to not only Messi but the whole team. He mentioned that the current squad is very dangerous. He further added, "Barcelona is having a fantastic season. They are top of the league and are in the final in the Cup in Spain and they have the potential to win this Cup. On the other hand, Eden Hazard is expected to be recalled to the team after the Belgian international was rested for the 4-0 win over Hull City in the English FA Cup fifth round. Nelson Semedo is serving a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation during the group stage. David Luiz and Tiemoue Bakayoko are injury doubts for Chelsea but Marcos Alonso is set to return. Also, Alvaro Morata and Thibaut Courtois are one of the key players along with Eden Hazard. Here are some quick facts about the match: Barcelona are attempting to reach the quarter-finals for a record-extending 11th straight year. Chelsea have only advanced beyond the last 16 once in the past five seasons, losing at this stage to Paris Saint-Germain in their two most recent knockout ties. This is one of only two last-16 ties featuring a pair of former European champions.

Champions League: Match preview of Barcelona vs Chelsea

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-match-preview-of-barcelona-vs-chelsea-33534">Barcelona and Chelsea</a> is set ready to face each other in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge.

Barcelona is currently having arguably one of the best seasons till now and will enter the game with a high.

They have already made it into the final of the Copa del Rey and stands at top of the La Liga table.

Although, both the teams are under pressure but Chelsea is a bit more hustled as the ongoing season is not that good as they had an outstanding run last season.

But here is some good news for Chelsea fans as one of the key&nbsp;players of Barca will not play today.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
⚽️ Starting XI 
???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChelseaBar%C3%A7a?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChelseaBar&ccedil;a</a> <a href="https://t.co/XaBBne5N3s">pic.twitter.com/XaBBne5N3s</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/966017351312429066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Who&nbsp;is missing in the squad list?

Yes, it&#39;s Philippe Coutinho. The reason is Phil being&nbsp;ineligible for the match having previously played for Liverpool in the group stage of the competition before the transfer.

<div style="background:#eee;border:1px solid #ccc;padding:5px 10px;">What does the rule say? 
As a rule, a player may not play in a UEFA club competition (UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, excluding UEFA Super Cup) for more than one club in the course of the same season.</div>

&nbsp;

He played an important role in inspiring the Reds to seal a place in the Champions League last 16.

Coutinho will have to watch on from the sidelines as UEFA rules stipulate that a player cannot represent more than one club in the same season in the competition.

&nbsp;

The reason is Coutinho being ineligible for the match having previously played for Liverpool in the group stage of the competition before the transfer

Barcelona and Chelsea is set ready to face each other in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge. Barcelona is currently having arguably one of the best seasons till now and will enter the game with a high. They have already made it into the final of the Copa del Rey and stands at top of the La Liga table. Although, both the teams are under pressure but Chelsea is a bit more hustled as the ongoing season is not that good as they had an outstanding run last season. But here is some good news for Chelsea fans as one of the key players of Barca will not play today. ⚽️ Starting XI ???????? #ChelseaBarça pic.twitter.com/XaBBne5N3s — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 20, 2018 × Who is missing in the squad list? Yes, it's Philippe Coutinho. The reason is Phil being ineligible for the match having previously played for Liverpool in the group stage of the competition before the transfer. What does the rule say? As a rule, a player may not play in a UEFA club competition (UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, excluding UEFA Super Cup) for more than one club in the course of the same season. He played an important role in inspiring the Reds to seal a place in the Champions League last 16. Coutinho will have to watch on from the sidelines as UEFA rules stipulate that a player cannot represent more than one club in the same season in the competition.

Here is why Philippe Coutinho is not playing against Chelsea

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/prankster-hands-conte-signed-mourinho-shirt-33007">Antonio Conte</a>,&nbsp;Chelsea head coach&nbsp;spoke to media on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg tie against Barcelona.

Chelsea is standing at number four of English Premier League behind Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/good-to-be-compared-with-messi-eden-hazard-33431">Eden Hazard</a> is expected to be recalled to the team after the Belgian international was rested for the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/chelsea-stroll-past-hull-into-fa-cup-quarter-finals-33137">4-0 win over Hull City</a> in the English FA Cup fifth round.

In the interview he was asked about team&#39;s preparation, &quot;I think we start this game as underdog for sure because Barcelona on the paper is favourite to go to the next round.&quot;

&quot;But, for this reason, I think we should be excited to have this challenge. These two games will be very important to understand what is our level in this competition, he added.&quot;

When asked about Barcelona&nbsp;he said, &quot;Barcelona is having a fantastic season. They are top of the league and are in the final in the Cup in Spain and they have the potential to win this Cup, said Chelsea&#39;s head coach.&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Antonio Conte knows Chelsea have to &quot;suffer&quot; if they want to get past Barcelona <a href="https://t.co/4ut0yqdemo">pic.twitter.com/4ut0yqdemo</a>
&mdash; Goal (@goal) <a href="https://twitter.com/goal/status/965719299825352704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;We know Barcelona&#39;s characteristic. They like to have ball possession. They like to dominate the game,&quot; he talked about Barcelona&#39;s playing tactics.

&quot;In every game, they are able to create many chances to score and for this reason, we must be prepared to suffer,&quot; former Italian midfielder&nbsp;added.

The Italian coach said in his improper English speaking skills, &quot;To suffer without the ball. To be compact. Not to lose our heads during the game and then to try with the ball what we know. What we try during training.&quot;

&quot;For sure we have to pay great attention (to him) but not only Messi. (Luis) Suarez is a fantastic striker. The whole team is very dangerous, he added.&quot;

&nbsp;

'We have to pay great attention but not only Messi. Suarez is a fantastic striker. The whole team is very dangerous,' says Chelsea head coach on the eve of Barce vs Chelsea

Antonio Conte, Chelsea head coach spoke to media on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg tie against Barcelona. Chelsea is standing at number four of English Premier League behind Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool. Eden Hazard is expected to be recalled to the team after the Belgian international was rested for the 4-0 win over Hull City in the English FA Cup fifth round. In the interview he was asked about team's preparation, "I think we start this game as underdog for sure because Barcelona on the paper is favourite to go to the next round." "But, for this reason, I think we should be excited to have this challenge. These two games will be very important to understand what is our level in this competition, he added." When asked about Barcelona he said, "Barcelona is having a fantastic season. They are top of the league and are in the final in the Cup in Spain and they have the potential to win this Cup, said Chelsea's head coach." Antonio Conte knows Chelsea have to "suffer" if they want to get past Barcelona pic.twitter.com/4ut0yqdemo — Goal (@goal) February 19, 2018 × "We know Barcelona's characteristic. They like to have ball possession. They like to dominate the game," he talked about Barcelona's playing tactics. "In every game, they are able to create many chances to score and for this reason, we must be prepared to suffer," former Italian midfielder added. The Italian coach said in his improper English speaking skills, "To suffer without the ball. To be compact. Not to lose our heads during the game and then to try with the ball what we know. What we try during training." "For sure we have to pay great attention (to him) but not only Messi. (Luis) Suarez is a fantastic striker. The whole team is very dangerous, he added."

'We must be prepared to suffer,' says Antonio Conte

The first leg of Chelsea&nbsp;vs Barcelona is scheduled for February 21 at&nbsp;Stamford Bridge, London.

It is supposed to be one of the major clashes of Champions Leauge and fans and supporters of both sides have high expectations for their favourite team.

In a pre-match interview, Eden Hazard said, &quot; We know that it is tough to beat Chelsea. We are in a good position. We play the first game here. So we will give everything here.&quot;

&quot;Of course, Barcelona is one of the best teams in the world but in the past, they were a little bit in trouble against Chelsea and I hope tomorrow is going to be the same because we want to win,&quot; he further added.

On asking him about being compared with Messi and Ronaldo he said, &quot;First it is good to be compared with the greatest ever (like Lionel) Messi, (Cristiano) Ronaldo, but I am different. I am completely different.&quot;

&quot;We play in a different league. I try to do my job. I try to reach that level. You need to play well in big games and tomorrow is a big game. So, let&#39;s go for it and try to give everything,&quot; he added.

Eden Hazard is expected to be recalled to the team after the Belgian international was rested for the 4-0 win over Hull City in the English FA Cup fifth round.

Summer signing Alvaro Morata will be battling it out with Olivier Giroud for the central striker berth. French international Giroud, who arrived in January from Premier League rivals Arsenal, gave his chances a boost with his first goal for the club in the Hull City victory.

&nbsp;

Eden Hazard is expected to be recalled to the team after the Belgian international was rested against Hull City

The first leg of Chelsea vs Barcelona is scheduled for February 21 at Stamford Bridge, London. It is supposed to be one of the major clashes of Champions Leauge and fans and supporters of both sides have high expectations for their favourite team. In a pre-match interview, Eden Hazard said, " We know that it is tough to beat Chelsea. We are in a good position. We play the first game here. So we will give everything here." "Of course, Barcelona is one of the best teams in the world but in the past, they were a little bit in trouble against Chelsea and I hope tomorrow is going to be the same because we want to win," he further added. On asking him about being compared with Messi and Ronaldo he said, "First it is good to be compared with the greatest ever (like Lionel) Messi, (Cristiano) Ronaldo, but I am different. I am completely different." "We play in a different league. I try to do my job. I try to reach that level. You need to play well in big games and tomorrow is a big game. So, let's go for it and try to give everything," he added. Eden Hazard is expected to be recalled to the team after the Belgian international was rested for the 4-0 win over Hull City in the English FA Cup fifth round. Summer signing Alvaro Morata will be battling it out with Olivier Giroud for the central striker berth. French international Giroud, who arrived in January from Premier League rivals Arsenal, gave his chances a boost with his first goal for the club in the Hull City victory.

Good to be compared with Messi: Eden Hazard

Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba were on target as Barcelona saw off Eibar 2-0 on Saturday to continue their unbeaten record in La Liga and extend their lead at the top of the table.

Lionel Messi had a hand in both goals against an Eibar side who finished the match at tiny Ipurua with 10 men after the second-half sending-off of Fabian Orellana.

It was not a comfortable afternoon for Ernesto Valverde&#39;s men in the rain in the Basque Country, but Barca is still unbeaten 24 games into the league campaign, and have now gone 31 La Liga matches undefeated in total to match their record run under Pep Guardiola in 2010/11.

They are 10 points clear at the top, although Atletico Madrid can trim that lead when they host Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Barcelona will now turn their thoughts to the Champions League last 16, first leg against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, and Valverde said Eibar were ideal opponents ahead of that match.

&quot;Eibar always put you under a lot of pressure, so it was a good test. We really suffered, because they are in great form,&quot; said Valverde.

&quot;It was a very difficult match just as we expected, and we will try and make sure it helps us, although the Champions League is another competition altogether.&quot;

Valverde sent out a strong team, choosing to start Andres Iniesta and leave Philippe Coutinho on the bench, despite the Brazilian being ineligible for the Champions League. Coutinho replaced Iniesta for the final half-hour.

&quot;Last week Coutinho started, and this week it was Iniesta,&quot; Valverde added. &quot;It is true that we have another match on Tuesday, but for me the important thing was today (Saturday).&quot;

Barca went ahead in the 16th minute, Messi&#39;s superb pass releasing Suarez, who rounded goalkeeper Marco Dmitrovic to score.

The visitors had a couple of let-offs in the first half, with Sergio Busquets lucky not to concede a penalty as he pulled back Kike Garcia in the box. Orellana then hit the bar with a fine strike.

However, the Chilean was sent off midway through the second half and Barca took advantage of the extra man in the 88th minute. Messi, who hit the post in the first half, was denied by Dmitrovic, but the ball fell for Alba to score.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
???? FINAL WHISTLE IN IPURUA! 
⚽ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EibarBar%C3%A7a?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EibarBar&ccedil;a</a> 
???? <a href="https://twitter.com/LuisSuarez9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LuisSuarez9</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/JordiAlba?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JordiAlba</a> 
 
???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/For%C3%A7aBar%C3%A7a?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#For&ccedil;aBar&ccedil;a</a> <a href="https://t.co/PEx37uc1Jv">pic.twitter.com/PEx37uc1Jv</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/964908491818393601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Barcelona is 10 points clear at the top in LaLiga and will face Chelsea in the first leg of Champions League

Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba were on target as Barcelona saw off Eibar 2-0 on Saturday to continue their unbeaten record in La Liga and extend their lead at the top of the table. Lionel Messi had a hand in both goals against an Eibar side who finished the match at tiny Ipurua with 10 men after the second-half sending-off of Fabian Orellana. It was not a comfortable afternoon for Ernesto Valverde's men in the rain in the Basque Country, but Barca is still unbeaten 24 games into the league campaign, and have now gone 31 La Liga matches undefeated in total to match their record run under Pep Guardiola in 2010/11. They are 10 points clear at the top, although Atletico Madrid can trim that lead when they host Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Barcelona will now turn their thoughts to the Champions League last 16, first leg against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, and Valverde said Eibar were ideal opponents ahead of that match. "Eibar always put you under a lot of pressure, so it was a good test. We really suffered, because they are in great form," said Valverde. "It was a very difficult match just as we expected, and we will try and make sure it helps us, although the Champions League is another competition altogether." Valverde sent out a strong team, choosing to start Andres Iniesta and leave Philippe Coutinho on the bench, despite the Brazilian being ineligible for the Champions League. Coutinho replaced Iniesta for the final half-hour. "Last week Coutinho started, and this week it was Iniesta," Valverde added. "It is true that we have another match on Tuesday, but for me the important thing was today (Saturday)." Barca went ahead in the 16th minute, Messi's superb pass releasing Suarez, who rounded goalkeeper Marco Dmitrovic to score. The visitors had a couple of let-offs in the first half, with Sergio Busquets lucky not to concede a penalty as he pulled back Kike Garcia in the box. Orellana then hit the bar with a fine strike. However, the Chilean was sent off midway through the second half and Barca took advantage of the extra man in the 88th minute. Messi, who hit the post in the first half, was denied by Dmitrovic, but the ball fell for Alba to score. ???? FINAL WHISTLE IN IPURUA! ⚽ #EibarBarça ???? @LuisSuarez9, @JordiAlba ???????? #ForçaBarça pic.twitter.com/PEx37uc1Jv — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 17, 2018 ×

Suarez and Alba help Barcelona to continue unbeaten run

Last season&#39;s FA Cup runners-up Chelsea struck four times before the break to crush second-tier Hull City 4-0 and stroll into the quarter-finals at Stamford Bridge on Friday.

Willian bagged two and Olivier Giroud scored his first goal for the club since joining from London rivals Arsenal, while Pedro was also on target for Antonio Conte&#39;s dominant side.

The night&#39;s other fifth-round tie saw Leicester City also in action against Championship opposition but having to work far harder for a 1-0 home victory over Sheffield United.

Jamie Vardy struck the only goal after 66 minutes -- the fifth game in a row in all competitions he has been on target.

Leicester held on to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2012 when they were knocked out by eventual winners Chelsea -- the last time the west London club won the Cup.

There are four more ties on Saturday when 12-times winners Manchester United visit Huddersfield Town while another all-top-flight clash sees West Bromwich Albion at home to fellow strugglers Southampton.

Third-tier Rochdale host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday and on Monday runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City face third-tier Wigan Athletic in a repeat of 2013 final surprisingly won by the Latics.

Confident Chelsea

Willian needed only two minutes to give Chelsea the lead against Hull, curling the ball in with his left foot from the edge of the penalty area.

Cesc Fabregas sent Pedro away to make it 2-0 after 27 minutes and Willian then used his right foot to devastating effect to skim a low shot past keeper David Marshall.

French international Giroud clipped in a neat finish from Emerson&#39;s cut back to make the second half academic.

With an eye on Tuesday&#39;s Champions League last 16, first leg at home to Barcelona, Chelsea took their foot off the gas in the second half.

&quot;It was great for us. The most important thing is that we are in the next round. Now we have to prepare for the game against Barcelona,&quot; Conte, who rested Eden Hazard, said.

&quot;You hope to always have a game that you can dominate. Our start was impressive. We started with great focus and concentration, will to score and wanted to go to the next round. I&#39;m really pleased with the commitment of my players.&quot;

After the Barca game, Chelsea faces Manchester United and Manchester City in the league and Conte said the confidence was back after a sticky patch.

&quot;Now we have the right confidence again. But in the next two weeks, we have to play massive games and we must be strong --Barcelona, United and City. We are ready,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;

Willian bagged two and Olivier Giroud scored his first goal for the club since joining from London rivals Arsenal

Last season's FA Cup runners-up Chelsea struck four times before the break to crush second-tier Hull City 4-0 and stroll into the quarter-finals at Stamford Bridge on Friday. Willian bagged two and Olivier Giroud scored his first goal for the club since joining from London rivals Arsenal, while Pedro was also on target for Antonio Conte's dominant side. The night's other fifth-round tie saw Leicester City also in action against Championship opposition but having to work far harder for a 1-0 home victory over Sheffield United. Jamie Vardy struck the only goal after 66 minutes -- the fifth game in a row in all competitions he has been on target. Leicester held on to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2012 when they were knocked out by eventual winners Chelsea -- the last time the west London club won the Cup. There are four more ties on Saturday when 12-times winners Manchester United visit Huddersfield Town while another all-top-flight clash sees West Bromwich Albion at home to fellow strugglers Southampton. Third-tier Rochdale host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday and on Monday runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City face third-tier Wigan Athletic in a repeat of 2013 final surprisingly won by the Latics. Confident Chelsea Willian needed only two minutes to give Chelsea the lead against Hull, curling the ball in with his left foot from the edge of the penalty area. Cesc Fabregas sent Pedro away to make it 2-0 after 27 minutes and Willian then used his right foot to devastating effect to skim a low shot past keeper David Marshall. French international Giroud clipped in a neat finish from Emerson's cut back to make the second half academic. With an eye on Tuesday's Champions League last 16, first leg at home to Barcelona, Chelsea took their foot off the gas in the second half. "It was great for us. The most important thing is that we are in the next round. Now we have to prepare for the game against Barcelona," Conte, who rested Eden Hazard, said. "You hope to always have a game that you can dominate. Our start was impressive. We started with great focus and concentration, will to score and wanted to go to the next round. I'm really pleased with the commitment of my players." After the Barca game, Chelsea faces Manchester United and Manchester City in the league and Conte said the confidence was back after a sticky patch. "Now we have the right confidence again. But in the next two weeks, we have to play massive games and we must be strong --Barcelona, United and City. We are ready," he said.

Chelsea stroll past Hull into FA Cup quarter-finals

Chelsea eased past West Bromwich Albion in a Premier League match on Monday.

Eden Hazard struck twice and Victor Moses scored one goal and inspired the team to much-needed victory.

More than players, the manager, Antonio Conte is relaxed as there were&nbsp;questions raised about his future at the club but this victory has definitely&nbsp;shrugged off some pressure from him.

Recently, he called for public backing from the Stamford Bridge hierarchy to put an end to growing speculation about his future as manager.

The Italian won the Premier League title in 2016-17 in his first year in England but there have been persistent rumours about his job being under threat this season due to the Blues&#39; indifferent form.

&quot;I&#39;m giving all of myself, me and my staff and also my players, for this club,&quot; he said a few days back.

&quot;And then I think that we are doing the maximum for this club and if the club understands this and the club wants to extend a new contract then we can talk, why not?&quot; he further added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Full-time: Chelsea 3-0 West Brom! 
 
Three points secured at the Bridge with goals from <a href="https://twitter.com/hazardeden10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hazardeden10</a> (2) and <a href="https://twitter.com/VictorMoses?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VictorMoses</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CHEWBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CHEWBA</a> <a href="https://t.co/aFruAFmBka">pic.twitter.com/aFruAFmBka</a>
&mdash; Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChelseaFC/status/963168851134484480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Yesterday, Hazard twisted his way goalwards in the 25th minute before playing a neat one-two with new signing Olivier Giroud who held off defenders to place the ball for the Belgium international to smack it past goalkeeper Ben Foster.

Moses added Chelsea&#39;s second after sprinting down the wing and laying the ball off to Cesc Fabregas, whose flick was deflected back into the Nigerian&#39;s path.

Hazard&#39;s second goal wrapped up the points as Chelsea moved back into the top four. In the 71st minute, he received a pass from substitute Alvaro Morata and jinked past defender Jonny Evans to lift the ball into the net.

Chelsea has 53 points from 27 games, one point ahead of London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and a point behind third-placed Liverpool in the race for Champions League qualifying spots.

A beaming Conte, whose side had lost their previous two Premier League games at home to Bournemouth and at Watford, hurried around the pitch after the whistle, shaking hands.

&nbsp;

Two goals from Belgian wizard Eden Hazard and another by Victor Moses earned Chelsea a 3-0 home win over struggling West Bromwich Albion

Chelsea eased past West Bromwich Albion in a Premier League match on Monday. Eden Hazard struck twice and Victor Moses scored one goal and inspired the team to much-needed victory. More than players, the manager, Antonio Conte is relaxed as there were questions raised about his future at the club but this victory has definitely shrugged off some pressure from him. Recently, he called for public backing from the Stamford Bridge hierarchy to put an end to growing speculation about his future as manager. The Italian won the Premier League title in 2016-17 in his first year in England but there have been persistent rumours about his job being under threat this season due to the Blues' indifferent form. "I'm giving all of myself, me and my staff and also my players, for this club," he said a few days back. "And then I think that we are doing the maximum for this club and if the club understands this and the club wants to extend a new contract then we can talk, why not?" he further added. Full-time: Chelsea 3-0 West Brom! Three points secured at the Bridge with goals from @hazardeden10 (2) and @VictorMoses! #CHEWBA pic.twitter.com/aFruAFmBka — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 12, 2018 × Yesterday, Hazard twisted his way goalwards in the 25th minute before playing a neat one-two with new signing Olivier Giroud who held off defenders to place the ball for the Belgium international to smack it past goalkeeper Ben Foster. Moses added Chelsea's second after sprinting down the wing and laying the ball off to Cesc Fabregas, whose flick was deflected back into the Nigerian's path. Hazard's second goal wrapped up the points as Chelsea moved back into the top four. In the 71st minute, he received a pass from substitute Alvaro Morata and jinked past defender Jonny Evans to lift the ball into the net. Chelsea has 53 points from 27 games, one point ahead of London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and a point behind third-placed Liverpool in the race for Champions League qualifying spots. A beaming Conte, whose side had lost their previous two Premier League games at home to Bournemouth and at Watford, hurried around the pitch after the whistle, shaking hands.

Eden Hazard, Victor Moses provide Chelsea crucial win

Pep Guardiola saw his Manchester City side pushed hard before defeating second-tier Bristol City in an entertaining League Cup semi-final on Tuesday to leave him one game away from winning his first major trophy in English football.&nbsp;

Guardiola&#39;s runaway Premier League leaders, eyeing an unprecedented season quadruple given they also remain involved in both the FA Cup and Champions League, won 3-2 on the night for a 5-3 aggregate win over the Championship side.

They kicked off with a narrow advantage at Ashton Gate after a 2-1 first-leg win at the Etihad Stadium.

But goals either side of half-time from Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero effectively saw Manchester City to a win on Tuesday and success over the two legs as they reached their first final under former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager Guardiola.

Bristol City was undaunted, however, with Marlon Pack pulling a goal back in the 64th minute before Aden Flint scored deep into stoppage time.

However, there was still time for Kevin De Bruyne to round off the scoring for Manchester City.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/pep-20180124041833.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Manchester City&#39;s manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the English League Cup semi-final. (AFP)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Guardiola&#39;s men will now face the winners of Wednesday&#39;s Emirates Stadium semi-final between their Premier League rivals Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley on February 25, with the two London clubs deadlocked at 0-0 after a first-leg stalemate.

&quot;We are so happy to be there, to reach this final,&quot; Guardiola, whose debut season as City boss last term saw him end a campaign without a trophy for the first time in his managerial career, told Sky Sports.

&quot;We played an amazing game until 2-0 and then we lost control, these type of games never end until the end.

&quot;This is a lesson for next weekend in Cardiff in the FA Cup and especially for the Champions League,&quot; the Spaniard warned.

&#39;Judged on trophies&#39;

&quot;At 2-0 we knew it would be easier because they needed three or four goals but with one minute left it was 2-2 and anything could happen.&quot;

Guardiola played down the personal importance of reaching a Wembley final, saying: &quot;It&#39;s not for me, it&#39;s for Manchester City, a club who are trying to reach another level.&nbsp;

&quot;I know that we will be judged by trophies we win but we are so happy,&quot; he insisted. &quot;Nobody can take away what we have done, but Chelsea or Arsenal are strong teams.&quot;

Meanwhile, Pack summed up the mood of the home side by saying: I&#39;m proud of the boys and proud to be part of this team. Hopefully, we can take this into the league now and keep it going.&quot;

It looked as if Bristol City would deny Manchester City a goal in the first half of Tuesday&#39;s match.

But three minutes before the break, Hordur Magnusson made the mistake of trying to shepherd the ball out of play rather than clearing and was dispossessed near the byline by Bernardo Silva.

His cross was fired in by Sane and left Bristol City, chasing promotion to the lucrative Premier League, with a mountain to climb.

Four minutes after the re-start Aguero, Manchester City&#39;s all-time leading goalscorer seemed to put the result of the tie beyond doubt.

The Argentina striker, fresh from a hat-trick in a 3-1 league win over Newcastle United last weekend, still had plenty to do following De Bruyne&#39;s cross-field ball.

But he made light of a tight angle by letting fly with a shot into the top corner from 18 yards out.

It would have been easy for Bristol City to be overwhelmed from then on in but, to their credit, it was the southwest side who scored next, in the 64th minute.

John Stones made a mess of a clearance and when it came back into the box, Pack guided a well-directed header across Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and into the top corner.

Flint turned in a header late on to give Bristol City fans hope of extra time but, pressing for that goal, their side were wide-open to a counter-attack, with Sane cutting the ball back for De Bruyne to fire home.

&nbsp;

Manchester City will now face either Arsenal or Chelsea in the finals on February 25

Pep Guardiola saw his Manchester City side pushed hard before defeating second-tier Bristol City in an entertaining League Cup semi-final on Tuesday to leave him one game away from winning his first major trophy in English football. Guardiola's runaway Premier League leaders, eyeing an unprecedented season quadruple given they also remain involved in both the FA Cup and Champions League, won 3-2 on the night for a 5-3 aggregate win over the Championship side. They kicked off with a narrow advantage at Ashton Gate after a 2-1 first-leg win at the Etihad Stadium. But goals either side of half-time from Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero effectively saw Manchester City to a win on Tuesday and success over the two legs as they reached their first final under former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager Guardiola. Bristol City was undaunted, however, with Marlon Pack pulling a goal back in the 64th minute before Aden Flint scored deep into stoppage time. However, there was still time for Kevin De Bruyne to round off the scoring for Manchester City. Manchester City's manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the English League Cup semi-final. (AFP) × Guardiola's men will now face the winners of Wednesday's Emirates Stadium semi-final between their Premier League rivals Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley on February 25, with the two London clubs deadlocked at 0-0 after a first-leg stalemate. "We are so happy to be there, to reach this final," Guardiola, whose debut season as City boss last term saw him end a campaign without a trophy for the first time in his managerial career, told Sky Sports. "We played an amazing game until 2-0 and then we lost control, these type of games never end until the end. "This is a lesson for next weekend in Cardiff in the FA Cup and especially for the Champions League," the Spaniard warned. 'Judged on trophies' "At 2-0 we knew it would be easier because they needed three or four goals but with one minute left it was 2-2 and anything could happen." Guardiola played down the personal importance of reaching a Wembley final, saying: "It's not for me, it's for Manchester City, a club who are trying to reach another level. "I know that we will be judged by trophies we win but we are so happy," he insisted. "Nobody can take away what we have done, but Chelsea or Arsenal are strong teams." Meanwhile, Pack summed up the mood of the home side by saying: I'm proud of the boys and proud to be part of this team. Hopefully, we can take this into the league now and keep it going." It looked as if Bristol City would deny Manchester City a goal in the first half of Tuesday's match. But three minutes before the break, Hordur Magnusson made the mistake of trying to shepherd the ball out of play rather than clearing and was dispossessed near the byline by Bernardo Silva. His cross was fired in by Sane and left Bristol City, chasing promotion to the lucrative Premier League, with a mountain to climb. Four minutes after the re-start Aguero, Manchester City's all-time leading goalscorer seemed to put the result of the tie beyond doubt. The Argentina striker, fresh from a hat-trick in a 3-1 league win over Newcastle United last weekend, still had plenty to do following De Bruyne's cross-field ball. But he made light of a tight angle by letting fly with a shot into the top corner from 18 yards out. It would have been easy for Bristol City to be overwhelmed from then on in but, to their credit, it was the southwest side who scored next, in the 64th minute. John Stones made a mess of a clearance and when it came back into the box, Pack guided a well-directed header across Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and into the top corner. Flint turned in a header late on to give Bristol City fans hope of extra time but, pressing for that goal, their side were wide-open to a counter-attack, with Sane cutting the ball back for De Bruyne to fire home.

EFL: Man City beats Bristol City to reach finals

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has called for public backing from the Stamford Bridge hierarchy to put an end to growing speculation about his future as manager.

The Italian won the Premier League title in 2016-17 in his first year in England but there have been persistent rumours about his job being under threat this season due to the Blues&#39; indifferent form.

Conte has repeatedly expressed his desire to honour the remaining 18 months of his contract and now wants a public vote of confidence from his employers.

&quot;Maybe I&#39;d like that the club prepares a statement for me to tell (the media), &#39;I trust in his job, I trust in his work&#39;,&quot; said Conte ahead of Monday&#39;s trip to Watford.

&quot;But at the same time I know that in the past it never happened, this, and for this reason why would I hope for something different?

&quot;For sure, I think that I&#39;d like to have a statement to support this speculation.&quot;

Chelsea has failed to mount a serious defence of their title and travel to Vicarage Road 19 points adrift of runaway leaders Manchester City following last week&#39;s humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth.

After losing to Arsenal in the semi-finals of the League Cup, their only hopes of silverware lie in the Champions League and the FA Cup, while they face a fight to secure a top-four league finish.

Conte said he would welcome talks about extending his contract with the London club despite his struggles this season.

&quot;I&#39;m giving all of myself, me and my staff and also my players, for this club,&quot; he said.

&quot;And then I think that we are doing the maximum for this club and if the club understands this and the club wants to extend a new contract then we can talk, why not?&quot;

Conte could give debuts to new signings Olivier Giroud and Emerson Palmieri against the Hornets, although neither player is expected to start as they are short of fitness due to recent injuries.

&nbsp;

There have been persistent rumours about Chelsea manager Antonio Conte's job being under threat this season due to the Blues' indifferent form

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has called for public backing from the Stamford Bridge hierarchy to put an end to growing speculation about his future as manager. The Italian won the Premier League title in 2016-17 in his first year in England but there have been persistent rumours about his job being under threat this season due to the Blues' indifferent form. Conte has repeatedly expressed his desire to honour the remaining 18 months of his contract and now wants a public vote of confidence from his employers. "Maybe I'd like that the club prepares a statement for me to tell (the media), 'I trust in his job, I trust in his work'," said Conte ahead of Monday's trip to Watford. "But at the same time I know that in the past it never happened, this, and for this reason why would I hope for something different? "For sure, I think that I'd like to have a statement to support this speculation." Chelsea has failed to mount a serious defence of their title and travel to Vicarage Road 19 points adrift of runaway leaders Manchester City following last week's humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth. After losing to Arsenal in the semi-finals of the League Cup, their only hopes of silverware lie in the Champions League and the FA Cup, while they face a fight to secure a top-four league finish. Conte said he would welcome talks about extending his contract with the London club despite his struggles this season. "I'm giving all of myself, me and my staff and also my players, for this club," he said. "And then I think that we are doing the maximum for this club and if the club understands this and the club wants to extend a new contract then we can talk, why not?" Conte could give debuts to new signings Olivier Giroud and Emerson Palmieri against the Hornets, although neither player is expected to start as they are short of fitness due to recent injuries.

Conte wants Chelsea vote of confidence

Antonio Conte had no doubt the pressure on his position would intensify after his&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;side&#39;s stunning 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

The Blues head coach insists his&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;team, the reigning Premier League champions, are over-achieving this season &ndash;- but claims he is &quot;relaxed&quot; if members of the club&rsquo;s hierarchy view things differently.

Defeat left&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;in fourth place in the Premier League, just two points above Tottenham Hotspur and Conte accepted there were concerns over whether the Blues would qualify for next season&#39;s Champions League.

&quot;The pressure, it&#39;s normal. It&#39;s normal for a coach, for a manager,&quot; Conte said. &quot;It&#39;s normal if you are&nbsp;Chelsea&#39;s coach.&nbsp;

&quot;After the first game this season, you (the media) tried to put pressure on my job. But I&#39;m trying to do my best.&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/conte-20180201043156.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Chelsea&#39;s Italian head coach Antonio Conte gestures during the match. (AFP)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The Italian added: &quot;If someone doesn&#39;t think this club deserves this table (position) or deserve this situation. I repeat: we are doing everything, we are doing 120 percent. I&#39;m exploiting this squad at the maximum level.

&quot;But, if someone doesn&#39;t agree about this, I&#39;m here. I have to accept every situation. I&#39;m very relaxed about this. I know that I&#39;m doing a great job, a great work, me and the staff and the players.&quot;

There have been reports that Conte has angered&nbsp;Chelsea&#39;s Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich with thinly veiled criticism of the London club&#39;s transfer policy. &nbsp;

&#39;Reality&#39;

Asked whether the transfer business conducted by&nbsp;Chelsea&#39;s top four rivals had made the task of claiming a top-four finish harder, Conte replied: &quot;We have to understand that, if we want to speak about football and if we think to understand football we know very well this (a top four place) will be very difficult for us.

&quot;If we want only to dream and not see the reality &ndash;- in this case, I can tell you now we can fight to win the title this season!&quot;, added Conte, whose side area huge 18 points behind leaders Manchester City.

&quot;It will be very important to look at the reality and to know that, if we are able to reach a place in the Champions League, it will be a great success for us. Otherwise, we have a normal season.

&quot;My task is to try to be more realistic and try to transfer this to the players because of the players... if they know and understand the danger... But the players are fantastic in their commitment. They understand very well what our situation is in this season.&rdquo;

New signing Olivier Giroud watched the game from behind the dug-out but Conte said: &quot;I don&#39;t think now is the right moment to speak about Giroud&nbsp;after a bad defeat.&rdquo;

&quot;Now the most important thing is to understand we have to fight. This season will be very tough. We must be ready to struggle this season for everything.&quot;

&#39;Best feeling&#39;

Goals from Callum Wilson, Junior Stanislas and Nathan Ake in 16 second-half minutes secured Bournemouth&rsquo;s impressive victory.

The win moved Bournemouth up to tenth place, although they remain just five points clear of the bottom three.

Eddie Howe said the victory at Stamford Bridge was the best moment in his nine years, spread over two spells, as Bournemouth manager.

Howe, who has steered the club through the leagues from third-division League One, said: &quot;This is the best (feeling) because of the performance.

&quot;When we won here in our first season in the Premier League it was a historic performance, but it was backed against the wall. There was no luck connected today. It was a very strong performance. We&#39;re improving, we&#39;re getting stronger, we were very brave in our approach.&rdquo;

&quot;Full credit to the players:&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;are an outstanding team, but we defended very well, attacked with purpose, and the shape and balance were very good.

&quot;We were unbeaten in five coming here and wanted to keep that going, picking up points,&quot; Howe added.

&quot;To win by the margin we have is something we didn&#39;t expect but are very proud of.&quot;

&nbsp;

The defeat has left Chelsea in fourth place in the Premier League, just two points above Tottenham Hotspur

Antonio Conte had no doubt the pressure on his position would intensify after his Chelsea side's stunning 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. The Blues head coach insists his Chelsea team, the reigning Premier League champions, are over-achieving this season –- but claims he is "relaxed" if members of the club’s hierarchy view things differently. Defeat left Chelsea in fourth place in the Premier League, just two points above Tottenham Hotspur and Conte accepted there were concerns over whether the Blues would qualify for next season's Champions League. "The pressure, it's normal. It's normal for a coach, for a manager," Conte said. "It's normal if you are Chelsea's coach. "After the first game this season, you (the media) tried to put pressure on my job. But I'm trying to do my best." Chelsea's Italian head coach Antonio Conte gestures during the match. (AFP) × The Italian added: "If someone doesn't think this club deserves this table (position) or deserve this situation. I repeat: we are doing everything, we are doing 120 percent. I'm exploiting this squad at the maximum level. "But, if someone doesn't agree about this, I'm here. I have to accept every situation. I'm very relaxed about this. I know that I'm doing a great job, a great work, me and the staff and the players." There have been reports that Conte has angered Chelsea's Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich with thinly veiled criticism of the London club's transfer policy. 'Reality' Asked whether the transfer business conducted by Chelsea's top four rivals had made the task of claiming a top-four finish harder, Conte replied: "We have to understand that, if we want to speak about football and if we think to understand football we know very well this (a top four place) will be very difficult for us. "If we want only to dream and not see the reality –- in this case, I can tell you now we can fight to win the title this season!", added Conte, whose side area huge 18 points behind leaders Manchester City. "It will be very important to look at the reality and to know that, if we are able to reach a place in the Champions League, it will be a great success for us. Otherwise, we have a normal season. "My task is to try to be more realistic and try to transfer this to the players because of the players... if they know and understand the danger... But the players are fantastic in their commitment. They understand very well what our situation is in this season.” New signing Olivier Giroud watched the game from behind the dug-out but Conte said: "I don't think now is the right moment to speak about Giroud after a bad defeat.” "Now the most important thing is to understand we have to fight. This season will be very tough. We must be ready to struggle this season for everything." 'Best feeling' Goals from Callum Wilson, Junior Stanislas and Nathan Ake in 16 second-half minutes secured Bournemouth’s impressive victory. The win moved Bournemouth up to tenth place, although they remain just five points clear of the bottom three. Eddie Howe said the victory at Stamford Bridge was the best moment in his nine years, spread over two spells, as Bournemouth manager. Howe, who has steered the club through the leagues from third-division League One, said: "This is the best (feeling) because of the performance. "When we won here in our first season in the Premier League it was a historic performance, but it was backed against the wall. There was no luck connected today. It was a very strong performance. We're improving, we're getting stronger, we were very brave in our approach.” "Full credit to the players: Chelsea are an outstanding team, but we defended very well, attacked with purpose, and the shape and balance were very good. "We were unbeaten in five coming here and wanted to keep that going, picking up points," Howe added. "To win by the margin we have is something we didn't expect but are very proud of."

EPL: Conte under pressure as Bournemouth shock Chelsea

chelsea

Chelsea, News on Chelsea, stories on Chelsea, articles on Chelsea, Chelsea stories at Wion, Chelsea news, Chelsea latest news