Conte aims for Blues balance

Chelsea need greater balance between attack and defence according to manager Antonio Conte as they look to bounce back from successive defeats to Arsenal and Liverpool.

The Italian had made a strong start to life in the Premier League but his Chelsea team have now dropped off the pace with losses in each of their last two games.

Defeat to the Gunners, 3-0, was the poorest performance since Conte’s arrival, with Arsenal able to pick apart the Chelsea defence at will.

And with time to reflect during a European week, Conte has called on his team to stay united ahead of the weekend’s trip to Hull.

(Joachim Sielski/Bongarts/Getty Images)

“When you want to win you must have a good balance when you attack and when you defend. I think this is the right way if you want to win,” he said.

“It’s important to work together in defensive situations and in offensive situations. We must work together. We can improve a lot and it’s important to understand this and try to work together.

“Sure, I was angry, but also my players were angry. We weren’t satisfied with our performance. But I prefer to keep my words. There are the rules in the dressing room and you must respect this.

“It’s important to take this experience like an opportunity that if we want to come back very soon or fight for something important, it’s important to improve.

“We win and we lose like a team. We must continue to think in the same way always, that’s important.”