Football
Liam Twomey, Chelsea correspondent 7y

Chelsea were 'unlucky' in FA Cup final loss to Arsenal - Antonio Conte

LONDON -- Antonio Conte insisted that Chelsea were "a bit unlucky" to lose to Arsenal in last season's FA Cup final, and added that he expects a positive response to losing at Wembley when the two teams meet again at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Aaron Ramsey scored a dramatic late winner in a 2-1 victory for the Gunners in May, moments after Diego Costa had cancelled out a controversial early goal from Alexis Sanchez, in which there were claims of both handball and offside.

Victor Moses was also sent off after being shown a second yellow card for diving as Chelsea attempted to mount their comeback, and Conte said that the key moments in the match went against his team.

"I remember very well that game, we were also a bit ... unlucky," he said. "If you remember the first goal was very strange. I am sure that this goal [would be] disallowed. Instead, we started the game 1-0 down. Then we tried to change the game, then a red card, with 10 men we drew [level], but then we conceded another goal.

"When you lose there is always disappointment, but I think last season was a great season for us, a big achievement."

Asked if he expected his team to be even more motivated as a result of their FA Cup final loss, Conte added: "Yes. I always see a good mentality from my players. When there is a defeat, remember after a bad start to the season, the Burnley defeat, I had a good answer from my players. This showed great mentality."

Key to Chelsea's hopes of beating Arsenal will be club-record signing Alvaro Morata. The Spain international has contributed three goals and two assists in four Premier League appearances since joining from Real Madrid for an initial fee of £58 million in the summer, and Conte is impressed with how quickly his new striker has settled into English football.

"Morata is a really good striker," he said. "Don't forget Alvaro is very young, I think he can improve a lot.

"Despite [the fact] he is a young player, he has played with Real Madrid and Juventus. In his career he won a lot. I think he has great experience, great international experience, and we are happy to have him in our team.

"We are trying to work very hard with him, to adapt himself in our style of football, our idea. For me the striker is very important, very important, but he is a good guy and he wants to improve a lot. He wants to become one of the best."

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