Ashley Young: Chelsea performance was coming for Manchester United

April 17: Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has admitted that his side deserved to lose their Premier League clash against Manchester United as the latter showed more desire, more ambition and more motivation.

United, whose leading scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic started on the bench, were rewarded for a vibrant display when they struck again in the 49th minute.

“We knew that playing this way would be very hard for them”.

The Blues are still in a strong position but they are now feeling the hot breath of Spurs on their neck after Pochettino’s team made it seven successive league wins for the first time since 1967 with a 4-0 home win over Bournemouth on Saturday.

“Manchester United deserved to win because they showed more desire, more motivation, more ambition to win this game”, Conte told the BBC.

It was Rashford’s ninth goal of a season that has seen the 19-year-old find life tough after a superb breakthrough campaign last term.

“I prefer to fight for the title instead of don’t fight for the title and stay calm”. Last season Chelsea had no pressure in 10th place and you play calm, you are happy.

“We lost two games but those games were totally different”, Conte said. If we win, we must be proud.

Rashford added: “We’re a team, just missing one player it doesn’t cancel out everything that we’ve worked on throughout the week”.

United manager Jose Mourinho started with top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the bench but delivered a tactical masterclass against his former club, largely nullifying the threat from the usually risky Eden Hazard.

Marcus Rashford can be one of the world’s best players, according to Manchester United teammate Matteo Darmian.

We have a four-point advantage and at the start of the season we would have taken it at this stage.

United host Anderlecht in the Europa League quarter-final second leg on Thursday.

Conte’s Chelsea might just win the Premier League, but as of now, the stumbling block is visible from afar. But when they tried to play counterattack we were always in control. His players were enthusiastic students and it probably sums up the way Chelsea were rattled that N’Golo Kanté, of all people, was responsible for losing the ball in the build-up to the second goal.

“It won’t be easy because Tottenham now are the best team”.

‘I think Marcus is a great player, ‘ the Italy full-back said.