Antonio Conte: 'Defeat makes title race more interesting'

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has admitted that his side's shock 2-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace makes the title race "more interesting".

The Blues had looked set to cruise to the Premier League crown having built a 10-point lead at the top of the table, but Palace ended a 13-match Chelsea winning streak at Stamford Bridge to slow their charge.

Tottenham Hotspur's victory over Burnley saw the gap at the top close to seven points ahead of Chelsea's match against Manchester City on Wednesday, and Conte reiterated that his side have won nothing yet.

"For sure, for you (the media) it's a good result, because [it] makes this more interesting in the championship. But I always said the league finishes when you have the mathematical [certainty] that you won. Otherwise you must fight, you must play every game to try to win," he told reporters.

"In England it doesn't exist an easy game. Every game will be very tough, from now until the end, also if the team name is Manchester City or a team that is fighting for the relegation zone.

"It's a pity, but I think today it wasn't our day. We deserved at least to draw. I don't want to say to win, but at least a draw. We created many chances to score. We dominated the game."

The defeat was Chelsea's first against a team currently outside the top six in the Premier League and only their second in their last 23 league games.