Photo: Getty Images

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has come under intense criticism since the defeat against Manchester City. Conte’s negative tactics have been berated, and a lot has been said about the champions.

However, former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho had some words of praise about his former club.

When addressing the situation after Manchester United’s 3-2 win over Crystal Palace on Monday night, Mourinho said: “I know what you are writing as a consequence of Sunday, but Chelsea are a fantastic team.

“It looks a bit strange, because you all know they had problems in the past, but it is quite ridiculous.

“I have to say how unfair it is the way people are speaking about the Premier League champions.

“They are still champions, and Chelsea were strong against us.

“They started very strong and created difficulties in the initial part of the game.”