CONTE
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes Chelsea's rivals for the
title should not take too much encouragement from the league leaders' draw at
Burnley.
Antonio Conte's side took the lead at Turf Moor on Sunday
with an early goal from Pedro, but Robbie Brady earned a share of the points
for the Clarets with a spectacular free-kick.
Burnley have only lost three Premier League games at home
this season, to Swansea, Arsenal and Manchester City, and still have to
entertain title contenders Tottenham and top-four hopefuls Manchester United.
Hasselbaink, who played for Chelsea between 2000 and 2004,
is confident Conte's team will not be knocked out of their stride.
"It's a good point for me, at Burnley. It's a difficult
place to go. You have to give Burnley credit because not a lot of teams go
there and win, only Man City and Arsenal, who were quite lucky,"
Hasselbaink said on Premier League Daily.
"So for Chelsea to go there, winning 1-0 and then they
score a stunner, I think it's a good result. Man United still have to go there,
Tottenham still have to go there, so it's not going to be easy.
"Chelsea have found a way of how to play, and they are
very calm and relaxed within that, very confident. I don't see them losing three
games out of the 13 games they have left.
"Also, they don't have any European games, they only
have the FA Cup and the Premier League, so they can concentrate in midweek,
from Saturday to Saturday and really prepare. I think they will be too far
ahead for the others."
The form of Chelsea striker Diego Costa has come under
examination after a January move to China failed to materialise.
The Spain international has scored just one goal in six
games this year, and missed a penalty in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool at
Anfield, but Hasselbaink does not believe there is any cause for concern.
"Always as a striker you get those little spells where
you don't score, you have to look at the attributes, at the amount of work he
does and how much he creates," Hasselbaink said.
"He's missed a penalty but that can happen. But for me,
pound for pound he's the best striker at the moment in the Premier League."
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