Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez has suggested that he has not been surprised by Chelsea's fast start under new head coach Maurizio Sarri.

The Blues have recorded back-to-back wins over Huddersfield Town and Arsenal, despite Sarri only being confirmed as a replacement for Antonio Conte during the middle of July.

However, Benitez is full of praise for Sarri, who was selected as his replacement in the Napoli dugout when he left Naples in 2015.

At a press conference, the Spaniard told reporters: "Chelsea are a top side with a very good manager. I know Sarri well from Italy. They are playing well and are dangerous, but we are confident our fans will be behind us and support us.

"We have to get our approach right - to try and win, but make sure we play in the right way. He's quite clever and he said he'll need time, which is true, but he knew his team had quality and so I was expecting a good start."

Sarri has praised Benitez for the work which he did at Napoli before his arrival.