Eden Hazard helped Chelsea to their first home league win of 2018

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte praised the club’s fans for sticking by him, after a comfortable win over West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge eased the pressure on the Italian.

Conte’s Chelsea future had been placed under the harshest spotlight after successive heavy losses to Bournemouth and Watford – but a victory that took them back up to fourth in the Premier League will ease those concerns for now.

Conte’s name was sung throughout by the home fans, in an obvious show of support.

“I have to thank the fans because they showed me great support,” he said. “They are reading speculation and rumours on me and I’m grateful to the fans.

“It means they understand my passion, my will to defend this colour, this shirt, this badge.

“I have to live with this pressure until the end of the season. I don’t want this pressure to weigh on the shoulders of my players.”

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