Antonio Conte not backing down on pressing need for striker

Chelsea 3 Newcastle United 0: The Sunday newspapers may have made difficult reading for Chelsea and their Italian manager but the chants of ‘Antonio, Antonio’ ringing around Stamford Bridge during a routine 3-0 FA Cup fourth round victory over Newcastle suggest it is too early to write off Antonio Conte’s future in west London just yet. Transfer deadline day, mind you, looks likely to provide a better barometer.

Two goals from Michy Bathshuayi plus a wonderful Marcos Alonso free-kick, his seventh goal of the season, eased Chelsea into the fifth round on a day when Conte was said to be edging towards the exit door – with former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique already earmarked to replace him.

In fact, you could barely turn a page, in print or online, without finding some kind of story referencing problems, internal or external, at Chelsea Football Club, on the morning of this tie.