Antonio Conte Praises Spirit of His Players Following First Win of the Season Against Spurs

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte marked his 50th game in charge of the Blues in style with a dramatic 1-2 win over Spurs at Wembley. Two goals from Marcos Alonso ensured that the champions bounced back from last weekend's shock 3-2 home defeat against Burnley. 

Conte was quick to praise his players; "I want to thank my players, everyone, because they showed me great desire, great spirit, great will, and great heart." 

The Italian was particularly pleased with the character his side showed despite missing key players. Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas were both suspended, Eden Hazard is injured and Diego Costa remains absent. 

Conte said: "They were fighters today and for sure I saw a lot of positive things in a moment not easy for us, with suspensions and injury. Despite this, to play away against Tottenham and to win is a fantastic result. Don’t forget last season, after 13 wins in a row, we lost against Tottenham." 

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Conte reshuffled his team following the shock opening day defeat to Burnley. David Luiz started in midfield and the 48-year old was delighted with the performance of the Brazilian. 

"David played very well. It was an amazing performance from David. He played with great experience and personality. He was a really important reference for the other players." 

Chelsea's hero on the day was Marcos Alonso who scored twice from left back and Conte was not surprised to see him on the scoresheet. "He missed a lot of chances last season to improve his tally, but I know very well the wing-backs are the real wingers, and sometimes they must become strikers." 

Chelsea welcome Everton to Stamford Bridge next weekend before a trip to Leicester follows the international break.