Terrace Talk: Chelsea - Sheer scale of Antonio Conte’s achievement truly something special

Following the devastating loss to Arsenal last September, I remember feeling that we seemed a very long way away from qualifying for Europe, never mind being in contention for the league. 

I also remember reading in one of the broadsheets that this wasn’t just a defeat, but a lesson and that if the team were smart, it wasn’t a lesson that they were going to have to learn twice.

It is well documented that this was the turning point for manager and team, and was when Antonio Conte decided to change our formation. I remember speaking to a well-known journalist who had witnessed Conte’s reaction following the loss to our North London rivals and he said that “devastated” didn’t even come close. He had rarely seen anyone affected so completely by a result — although I would wager it was the performance more than the actual scoreline that caused such soul-searching.