Chelsea captain John Terry has claimed that getting the Premier League season off to a "winning start was vital".
The Blues marked Antonio Conte's first top-flight match as manager with a 2-1 win over West Ham United at Stamford Bridge.
Eden Hazard netted from the penalty spot, while James Collins found an equaliser for the Hammers in the 77th minute, but the winner came one minute from normal time through Diego Costa.
"It is very important for us to get off to get off to a good start," Terry told Sky Sports News. "We did not start off or finish well last year. That is the fight and commitment we want. We dug in in the London derby and that is great for the management.
"Eden Hazard is up there with the best in the world. We relied on him too much last year, he cannot do it on his own.
"To ourselves, to our supporters and to our friends and family, we will slowly get there. The consistency is important, the winning start was vital."
Chelsea's next league game will be away to Watford on Saturday.
Danielle Joynson
