Conte calls Everton best outside top six

After Everton frustrated last year’s Premier League champions Chelsea in a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park, the visitor’s manager was disappointed by his side’s failure to break down the Toffees.

“I think when you play this type of game, we shot 26 times with eight on target [you deserve to win]. We hit the bar and the defender [Phil Jagielka] saved on the goal-line so we are disappointed because we deserved to win and take the three points. We have to take the points against a team who, after the top six, I consider the best team in the league.

“We played away, against a good team, with great intensity and concentration and the defenders played very well. It’s a pity, but at the same time it was a really good performance and another clean sheet, but if you want to win this game you must score, be more clinical and take your chances.

“We created many chances to score but we must be more clinical. We were also a bit unlucky when we hit the bar and there were a few situations in the box, but that’s football.”

We went into the summer knowing that we were the best outside the top six, and the large financial outlay in the transfer window was to narrow that gap. However, we can now say that a lot of that money was misspent, and the Blues will need to make some shrewd signings in January to ensure 7th first, before they can make a run at the top six again.