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Antonio Conte urges Chelsea to focus on top-four finish after West Ham loss - 'To reach this target isn't simple'

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Getty Images

Antonio Conte has urged his Chelsea side to focus on securing a top-four spot in the Premier League this season after the champions were beaten by London rivals West Ham on Saturday.

Chelsea suffered their fourth top-flight defeat of the season on Saturday when Marko Arnautovic's early goal sealed a 1-0 win for relegation battlers West Ham at the London Stadium.

The Blues still sit in third place in the Premier League standings, but are now just two points above Liverpool and three above fifth-placed Arsenal.

Conte admitted after the loss to West Ham that Chelsea's title hopes are now dead, but urged his squad to re-focus themselves to ensure they secure a Champions League spot for next season.

Speaking to Chelsea's official website ahead of the Champions League last-16 draw in Nyon on Monday, Conte said: "We have three possibilities – to play against Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona or Besiktas.

"But now it is very important for us to be focused on the league, to go game by game, to try to find the right energy to play every three days and to take three points in the kind of game we had against West Ham.

"There is a problem in this league: there are six top teams and only four places for the Champions League.

"You have targets and also, if Manchester City has many points over you, you have an important target to try to go in the first four and to play Champions League.

"Don't forget, two years ago Chelsea missed this target and last season we didn't play European games. Last season Arsenal and Manchester United were out of these places. Then Manchester United won the Europa League, otherwise they were out [of the Champions League] and also Arsenal, for the first time in 19 years.

"To reach this target is not simple. It's very important for me, the players, for all of us. This league is not simple to reach the top four positions."