Antonio Conte has described Chelsea's 5-0 thrashing of Stoke City on Saturday as the ideal finish to a "great year" for the club.

The Blues coasted to the 2016-17 Premier League title in the Italian's first season in charge, as well as reaching the final of the FA Cup.

Chelsea's final game of 2017 saw them record an emphatic win over the Potters and move up to second in the Premier League table, with Manchester United taking on Southampton in the evening kickoff.

Conte paid tribute to the Chelsea board for giving him the opportunity to manage the club and also looked ahead to Wednesday's trip to Arsenal.

"Today we were very good, we started very well and to score twice after 15 minutes, another clean sheet, there are a lot of positives after this game," the former Juventus boss told reporters.

"At the same time we know we must continue to work and improve, and prepare for a very difficult game against Arsenal. Every win is important for us, today it was important to get three points to continue our positive run.

"Today, we finished a great year for us - for the club, for the fans, for the players, for me. For a first experience in the league, to win the title is not easy, so I have to thank the club for giving me this opportunity."

Chelsea are also in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup and in the knockout stages of the Champions League, while their FA Cup campaign begins in the third round at Norwich City.