Beating Spurs in FA Cup has no bearing on league, says Antonio Conte

But Conte resisted the temptation on Monday to taunt his rival, which has won seven league games in succession to put pressure on the Italian’s league leaders.

Asked if beating Spurs in the FA Cup gave his side a psychological edge for the title run-in, Conte replied: “I don’t think so. They are two different competitions. It’s great to know that we have a final to play a week after the championship finishes.

“We have six games to go. We need to start this rush (of fixtures) with a win and to keep the lead.”

Chelsea, which has topped the standings for the last five months, held a 10-point advantage last month but slip-ups against Crystal Palace and Manchester United in April have cut its advantage to four points with six games to play.

The leader hosts Southampton on Tuesday, while Spurs plays away at Crystal Palace 24 hours later.

Chelsea prevailed against Spurs despite Conte surprisingly dropping playmaker Eden Hazard and Diego Costa to the bench. Hazard made a big impact when he came on to replace Willian, who scored Chelsea’s first two goals, just after the hour. The Belgian scored Chelsea’s third goal and teed up Nemanja Matic for the fourth.

Conte stopped short of confirming he would restore both Hazard and Costa to his starting team on Tuesday, saying: “I have another day to decide best 11 – they are in good condition, good form.”