Antonio Conte appeared to direct more thinly veiled criticism at Chelsea's hierarchy when he claimed his team had found their level by being in a position where the FA Cup is the only trophy they can win this season. Antonio Conte appeared to direct more thinly veiled criticism at Chelsea's hierarchy when he claimed his team had found their level by being in a position where the FA Cup is the only trophy they can win this season. The FA Cup has taken on particular importance for the Italian given his side also languish 25 points behind Manchester City in the Premier League and stand no chance of retaining their status as champions. That is a deeply frustrating situation for Conte to find himself in, as he made clear when asked to assess the importance of winning the FA Cup. Asked to explain what he meant by "our level", Conte went on to claim that by winning the title last season, his players overachieved: "They performed 120 per cent, maybe 130 per cent."

Source: Irish Independent March 18, 2018 02:37 UTC