The majority of fans and pundits alike have handed the Premier League title to Chelsea already, with Antonio Conte’s side running away with it at the top.

Whilst this will undoubtedly be something that the Stamford Bridge faithful are revelling in, it most certainly isn’t a mind-set that should be rubbing off on the players.

The Blues side is crammed full of winners on every level, there are FA Cup winners, Premier League winners, Champions League winners and World Cup winners, suffice to say they are a bunch who know how to bring a trophy home.

However, not too many of them will have been in a spot where they are being hailed as Champions with months left to run before they can official be given the label, something which is bound to have an impact on the players’ mental state.

With all around them within the game claiming that the title race is dead and buried you could almost forgive the squad for dropping off a little. However, that has not, thus far been the case for Antonio Conte’s men.

What will, most certainly be encouraging for Blues fans to read are the comments of their midfield lynchpin, N’Golo Kante.

The France international, who won the Premier League with Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester City last season, has admitted that the run in so far is the polar opposite of that he experience with Leicester last season.

The tireless midfielder, who has picked up more points than any other player in the Premier League since the start of last season, admitted that the case at Leicester was simply to hold onto top spot for as long as possible, almost expecting the chasing pack to catch them at one time or another.

At Chelsea, however, he has admitted that nothing is a surprise to them, they are where they are because they don’t stop winning and, as a team of champions, as the former Fox put it, that is what they expect of each other.

While you may expect this level of dedication from a team in such a standing it is still reassuring for Blues fans to be reading, it shows clearly that, whilst his side may already be playing with the swagger and skill of champions, Conte is not letting them accept that yet.

Many have claimed that the addition of Champions League football to Chelsea’s calendar next time around could lead to them being found out. However, remain in such a commanding and focussed frame of mind and, regardless of the fixture congestion, the Blues should be set for quite the spell under the former Juventus manager.