Antonio Conte hails ruthless Diego Costa as Chelsea mean business

Middlesbrough 0 Chelsea 1: Antonio Conte oversaw what was very much a Jose Mourniho-like performance as Chelsea returned to the top of the Premier League with a display of ominous efficiency and clear title-winning potential. 

There were no frills, few spills, just three points safely secured. The Special One would have approved.

On a bitter Teesside evening, his side weathered the early Middlesbrough storm, before slowly, surely sucking the life out of Aitor Karanka’s outclassed troops.