Chelsea icon Roberto Di Matteo says Mr Motivator Antonio Conte has inspired Blues to grind out results like champions

ROBERTO DI MATTEO says Mr Motivator Antonio Conte has inspired Chelsea to grind out results like champions.

The Blues can go ELEVEN points clear at the top of the Premier League with victory over Swansea on Saturday.

Incredibly, Conte’s side have DOUBLE the amount of points they had at this stage last season – when they slumped to 10th in the league under Jose Mourinho and then Guus Hiddink.

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And Di Matteo – who led Chelsea to their Champions League triumph in 2012 – believes the change in management at Stamford Bridge has made all the difference.

The former Aston Villa manager, 46, told SunSport: “I think Antonio is a good manager, without any doubt. He is a good manager and a good motivator - he is doing an excellent job.

“Chelsea are a very good team. After the first part of the season, when Antonio needed some time to study well his squad, he has made changes and the team now plays in his style.

“Players have adapted very well and, since then, Conte has started to grind the opponents and to take many points.

“They are very hard to beat. They give their opponents very few chances and they play with a lot of quality.

“But the key is knowing how to motivate players and how to build up a group that becomes a team.

“The quality of the players is unquestionable. The main part of the job, in order to achieve very high targets, is to motivate them well.”

Summer signing N’Golo Kante has been earning rave reviews for his lung-busting efforts in Chelsea’s midfield this season.

The French destroyer, who Conte signed for £32million from Leicester, is currently overwhelming favourite to be pick up the PFA Player of the year gong at the end of the campaign.

But Di Matteo reckons a shock Premier League ace has the potential to be just as good.

Asked to identify a future star, he added: “Idrissa Gueye - a player that I have had at Aston Villa that now is at Everton.

“He is doing very good things. I consider him very similar to Kante. He is a very humble player, always available to do the dirty job for his team.

“He’s a good player, fast and really physically strong. Maybe he is not under the spotlights, but he’s really a very good player.”