Antonio Conte: 'Top four still a possibility for Chelsea'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 20 April 2018

Conte: 'Top four a possibility for Chelsea'

Antonio Conte concedes that time is running out for Chelsea to catch Tottenham Hotspur, but is not giving up hope of finishing in fourth place just yet.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has challenged his players to replicate their performance against Burnley in their remaining Premier League matches to finish in the top four.

The Blues reignited their hopes for a Champions League qualification berth on Thursday evening by carving out a 2-1 win away at in-form Burnley.

Tottenham Hotspur are now just five points better off than Chelsea after collecting one point from the last six on offer, and Conte is refusing to rule out a late surge from his side to nab fourth place from their London rivals.

"There is a gap between us and Tottenham - we are talking about five points and there are four games to go," he told reporters. "It won't be easy. You depend on the other results and, at the same time, you have to try to get three points in every game.

"The only way we can keep the hope until the end is to play with the same desire, the same will that we showed against Burnley and in the second half against Southampton.

"Maybe with this desire, with this will to fight, this will to get a result, we have the possibility [to reach the top four]."

Chelsea face Swansea City, Liverpool, Huddersfield Town and Newcastle United in their remaining four matches.