Nemanja Matic says Chelsea's humiliating defeat to Arsenal was the wake-up call

Since being beaten 3-0 by Arsenal last month, Chelsea have won three straight league games, scoring nine goals without conceding and now sit a point behind the leaders.

Conte's decision to go with a 3-4-3 has reinvigorated the midfield, where Nemanja Matic and Eden Hazard enjoyed standout performances against United. Hazard's goal took his Premier League tally to four, equalling his total for the whole of last season.

Matic said the Arsenal defeat had been the turning point in Chelsea's transformation.

"I think the Arsenal game was a wake-up call for us," he told the Evening Standard. "We knew that we had to do better, to work more and that's what we have done. It's easier to say you need to work hard, than to actually do it.

"But after the Arsenal game we needed to improve. We had quality in the team, but we had to show it. In the last three games we have shown quality, scored goals and not conceded, which is very important.

"It is not easy to win 4-0 against a strong team like Manchester United. This was the real Chelsea."

Matic said he had respect for his former coach Mourinho. "He was our coach and we respect him, me especially. He brought me back here from Benfica so I have big respect for him."