Former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte says his side’s 4-0 victory against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge was his turning point at the club.
The Italian spent just two years at the club but he won the Premier League title in his debut season and followed it up with the FA Cup after a 1-0 victory against United in his final match as boss in 2018.
However, the Inter Milan head coach didn’t have the smoothest of starts in London and he lost two of his first six games in charge.
A demoralising 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in September convinced Conte to switch to a back three and it provided instant results, with the blues scoring five and not conceding in the first two matches in the new system.
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But the third game was their biggest test yet as Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge for the first time since his exit a year earlier.
Chelsea put the Red devils to the sword with an empthatic 4-0 victory that inspired them to the league title and Conte says it was a turning point in his reign.
‘I live my job in an intense way!’ Antonio Conte told Sky Sports, after he was asked about his wild goal celebrations.
‘Sometimes I show my passion and I want to share my happiness with the fans. I had an amazing relationship with Chelsea fans.
‘That game was important for us because when you win 4-0 against a top team it’s a boost because we understood very well that we could fight to win the league.
‘This game gave us confidence and belief in ourselves and we created a fantastic relationship with our fans.’
Conte’s wild celebrations angered Jose Mourinho and the pair exchanged words after the full time whistle.
It was the start of a rocky relationship between the duo and it continued throughout the remainder of the campaign when Conte called Mourinho ‘senile’ after he mocked his hair transplant.
However, Conte had the last laugh as his Chelsea team beat Mourinho’s United in his final match as Blues manager to win the FA Cup.
