Football: Chelsea take the hits and roll on

Chelsea's Eden Hazard, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge stadium in London. Photo / AP

Can they do it without Diego Costa and N'Golo Kante?

That was the question ahead of Chelsea's English Premier League clash with Bournemouth, but Antonio Conte's side has swept those questions aside with an impressive 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

Eden Hazard starred in the absence of suspended duo Kante and go Costa as the league leaders recorded their 10th clean sheet of the 12-match winning run.

"We sent a good message because I think a lot of people thought that, without two really important players, we could lose points," Conte said.

"But it didn't happen and I'm pleased with this because I can count on all my players in the squad."

As for Hazard, Conte said: "It's fantastic for me to see the great job (he) is doing with the ball, but also without the ball."

When asked about the impressive winning streak, Conte said: "This league is very tough and to have that many wins in a row is fantastic. Now, it is important to continue. It is important to think of the next game against Stoke and prepare in the right way.

"Today, we played without two important players. I'm pleased for the team because today our performance was very good. Now it is important to continue to look up the table and to keep this mentality.

"We took the three points and they are very important because these types of games are very difficult and very tough.

"Bournemouth played really good football.

"They tried to stop and to play for the first time, I think, with three at the back.

"This is not the first time that this has happened to us but we must be ready to face against every system.

"I think that we must continue to play and to try in every game to win but it's normal to have pressure because when you win 12 in a row, every single team is trying to stop you but we must have the right pressure to continue in this way."

Where Chelsea rank

14 WINS: Arsenal, February-August 2002
Arsene Wenger's side finished their 2001-02 title-winning campaign with 13 successive wins and then beat Birmingham 2-0 in the opening game of the next, before a 2-2 draw with West Ham ended the run. It is the longest winning run in the English top flight, equalled in the second division by Manchester United in 1904-05, Bristol City the following season and Preston in 1950-51.

12 WINS: Manchester United, March-August 2000
United won the 1999-2000 title by a thumping 18-point margin, rounding it off with 11 straight wins and scoring 37 goals in the process including a 7-1 thrashing of West Ham, 4-0 wins over Bradford and Sunderland and a 4-3 success at Middlesbrough. They opened the following season with a 2-0 win over Newcastle before drawing 1-1 against Ipswich.

Chelsea, October-December 2016 (ongoing)
Antonio Conte's Chelsea side have rebounded since a late September 3-0 humbling at the hands of Arsenal with a glut of goals and shipped just two themselves, against Tottenham and Manchester City. The 12-game streak includes wins over City and Spurs as well as Manchester United and a 5-0 thumping of Everton. To equal Arsenal's record they will need to beat Stoke and then win away at White Hart Lane.

- AAP