Willian: Chelsea fitter than ever under Conte

It may be an age old adage in sport, but Chelsea winger Willian insists a summer of hard work seems to be paying off already for the Blues.

Under new manager Antonio Conte, most of Chelsea’s summer tour to the USA and Europe was spent doing double fitness sessions rather than the sightseeing and photo calls of years gone by.

And the Blues squad responded in style at Stamford Bridge on Monday, beating London rivals West Ham 2-1.

But for Willian the manner of the win was more impressive than the result, and the 28-year-old Brazilian insists under the crystal clear Conte things are only going to improve.

“Some things have changed on the pitch but we respect the manager and the system he wants us to play,” he said.

“Sometimes, in a game, you have to decide what to do in a quick moment. For example I might have to move inside to get the ball and dribble past an opponent; you have to make quick decisions.

“The coach has improved our confidence. In training and at half-time he talks to us a lot which is very helpful.

“We have to improve both defensively and in attack with every game but we were pleased with our defensive performance against West Ham.

“We played very well and from the beginning of the game we put them under pressure and tried to score goals so it was good for us.

“Pre-season was very hard, we did double sessions every day but I feel good now. It was only the first game so everybody will improve, that’s natural, but I feel fresh and I’m ready for Watford.”