Chelsea great Gianfranco Zola says it is no surprise manager Antonio Conte is doing an exceptional job with the Blues.
The Londoners are riding high again after a disappointing 2015/5 campaign, having gone a point clear at the top of the Premier League when they reeled off a sixth straight League win at Middlesbrough on Sunday.
And Zola, who played over 300 times for Chelsea during a wonderful spell at Stamford Bridge, says the squad are clearly buying into the methods of his fellow Italian Conte, who took charge in the summer.
"Antonio has done exceptionally well," said Zola. "He is creating an atmosphere and a good basis to keep this form for a long time.
"I am pleased because they play well and are winning games deservedly.
"I had no doubts about the value of Antonio, because I know his qualities. My only question was whether the players would buy his philosophy straight away because he can be a very intense and hard-working coach.
"It seems to me that they are fine with that, which is why the results are coming in so quickly. It is not by coincidence either, it is the result of a very good job."
Zola sees the Premier League as a three-horse race right now but admits that things can change quickly.
"It is going to be tight," he said. "But if you remember a few weeks ago, everyone was saying Manchester City had already won the league, then Tottenham beat them and also Arsenal beat Chelsea.
"With what the league is like now, it is very uncertain and there are five or even six teams who could win it, and the team of the moment will be changed.
"It seems to me that three teams look like they have the consistency that might be necessary to win the league - this could be Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester City. But we will see because you also have Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United who can all come back."
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