Antonio Conte has told his Chelsea players to 'continue working hard' and believe in themselves if they are to see their Premier League title challenge all the way through.

The Blues made it a perfect eight from eight on Saturday afternoon by beating fellow challengers Manchester City 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium, recovering from a goal down for the second week running to seal the precious win.

Conte was particularly pleased with the effort of returning midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who came into the side in place of the injured Nemanja Matic - Chelsea's first alteration of any sort to their starting lineup in two months.

"Today, if you have not got a great character it is very difficult to win this game," he told reporters. "We need to believe in our work and we need also to continue to work very hard and to improve because for sure there are many things we can improve.

"Cesc played a good game in a match which was a difficult one to come into. He showed good personality. I know I can always count on him."

Chelsea are now four clear of Man City at the summit and three ahead of Arsenal, while Liverpool can close the gap to one point should they overcome Bournemouth on Sunday.