Antonio Conte may have kept alive Chelsea’s hope of Champions League football, but he admitted Saturday there has been something missing this season – goals.
The Blues manager achieved his 50th victory in the Premier League, a 1-0 win away to Swansea, thanks to Cesc Fabregas’s 50th goal in the competition, but Conte was dissatisfied by the London club’s fourth successive victory in all competitions.
The win in south Wales saw fifth-placed Chelsea close to within two points of capital rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the race for a top-four finish. Spurs play Watford on Monday.
But Eden Hazard, who set up Fabregas for his fourth-minute winner, is Chelsea’s leading scorer this season with a modest 12 goals.
“Our top scorer has scored only 12 goals, and if your best scorer has scored only 12 goals it means it is very difficult to fight for something this season,” said Conte.
“That is the reality — the stats speak very well,” the Italian manager added.
“I think even today we could be more clinical to kill the game, but instead we kept the game in balance.
“Against West Ham, it happened the same. We dominated and created many chances, but we scored only one goal.
“It could have happened the same today. I think this season we are not clinical and in the last period we are winning but also playing a little bit where we could kill the game but don’t.”
Chelsea require Spurs to falter or for Liverpool to be so wrapped in their Champions League campaign they drop further points.
The Blues are grinding out wins, as they did against a spirited but toothless Swansea, but they are reliant on others to slip up, regardless of whatever they achieve themselves in their three remaining league matches.
“The situation is not in our hands, but the only way to put a bit of pressure to Tottenham is to get three points in every game,” said Conte.
“It won’t be easy, we know they (Tottenham) will play against Watford on Monday but you know very well football is not simple.
“It is not simple to win a game in this league, but for sure our situation is not in our hands.”
