Chelsea now two wins behind 2002 Arsenal record of 14 straight Premier League wins

CHELSEA answered the serious question about their bona fides without two key men. Now the next question is: can they create Premier League history?

Chelsea's Italian head coach Antonio Conte (2R) shakes hands with his players.

CAN they do it without Diego Costa and N’Golo Kante?

That was the question ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Bournemouth, but Antonio Conte’s side swept those questions aside with an impressive 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

Eden Hazard starred in the absence of suspended duo N’Golo Kante and Diego Costa as the league leaders recorded their 10th clean sheet of the 12-match winning run.

“Today we sent a good message because I think a lot of people thought that, without two really important players, we could lose points,” Conte said.

“But it didn’t happen and I’m pleased with this because I can count on all my players in the squad.”

As for Hazard, Conte said: “It’s fantastic for me to see the great job (he) is doing with the ball, but also without the ball.”

When asked about the impressive winning streak, Conte told Sky Sports:

“This league is very tough and to have that many wins in a row is fantastic. Now, it is important to continue. It is important to think of the next game against Stoke and prepare in the right way.

“Today we played without two important players. I’m pleased for the team because today our performance was very good. Now it important to continue to look up the table and to keep this mentality.

STATS OF DOMINANCE

* First time Chelsea have won 12 in a row - ever

* Conte is the most successful managerial debutant, the first to win 15 of his 18 games games.

Chelsea's Italian head coach Antonio Conte gesture from the touchline.

“We took the three points and they are very important because these types of games are very difficult and very tough.

“Bournemouth played really good football. They tried to stop and to play for the first time I think with three at the back. This is not the first time that this has happened to us but we must be ready to face against every system.

“I think that we must continue to play and to try in every game to win but it’s normal to have pressure because when you win 12 in a row, every single team is trying to stop you but we must have the right pressure to continue in this way.”

WHERE CHELSEA RANK IN TERMS OF EPL WINNING STREAKS

14 WINS ARSENAL, February-August 2002

Arsene Wenger’s side finished their 2001-02 title-winning campaign with 13 successive wins and then beat Birmingham 2-0 in the opening game of the next, before a 2-2 draw with West Ham ended the run. It is the longest ever winning run in the English top flight, equalled in the second division by Manchester United in 1904-05, Bristol City the following season and Preston in 1950-51.

12 WINS MANCHESTER UNITED, March-August 2000

United won the 1999-2000 title by a thumping 18-point margin, rounding it off with 11 straight wins and scoring 37 goals in the process - the run included 4-0 wins over Bradford and Sunderland, a 4-3 success at Middlesbrough and a 7-1 dismissal of West Ham featuring a Paul Scholes hat-trick. They opened the following season with a 2-0 win over Newcastle before drawing 1-1 against Ipswich.

CHELSEA, October-December 2016 (ongoing)

Antonio Conte’s Chelsea side have rebounded since a late September 3-0 humbling at the hands of Arsenal with a glut of goals and shipped just two themselves, against Tottenham and Manchester City. The 12-game EPL win streak includes wins over the aforementioned City and Spurs as well as Manchester United and a 5-0 thumping of Everton. To equal Arsenal’s record they will need to beat Stoke and then win away at White Hart Lane.

11 WINS CHELSEA, April-September 2009

Guus Hiddink’s first spell as the Blues’ interim manager ended - in league terms at least - with successive wins over West Ham, Fulham, Arsenal, Blackburn and Sunderland. Carlo Ancelotti then opened up with six straight wins to establish the club record Antonio Conte’s men have now vanquished. Chelsea went on to win the league and FA Cup double.

MANCHESTER UNITED, December 2008-March 2009

Following United’s return from the Club World Cup and against the backdrop of the famous press conference at which Rafael Benitez, then manager of title rivals Liverpool, read out his list of “facts”, the Red Devils won 11 in a row. Liverpool themselves ended the run by winning 4-1 at Old Trafford but Sir Alex Ferguson’s men finished four points ahead of their rivals to claim a third straight title.

LIVERPOOL, February-April 2014

Liverpool’s title challenge was powered by the club’s longest winning run in the Premier League, which itself brought 38 goals for a free-flowing side fronted by Luis Suarez. It was memorably ended by defeat to Chelsea after Steven Gerrard’s unfortunate slip before, having been 3-0 up with 11 minutes to play, they capitulated to draw with Crystal Palace.

MANCHESTER CITY, April-September 2015

City finished as Premier League runners-up to Chelsea despite winning their final six games of the 2014-15 campaign. They opened last season with five more, before West Ham put a stop to their run, and failed to challenge surprise champions Leicester.

Originally published as Chelsea now two wins behind 2002 Arsenal record of 14 straight Premier League wins