Conte 'bored' of wasteful Chelsea as towel thrown in on top four

Antonio Conte is growing “bored” of Chelsea’s shortcomings, with another wasteful display against West Ham all but ending their top-four challenge.

Having been crowned Premier League champions in 2016-17, the Blues have endured a humbling tumble from the summit in the current campaign.

As Manchester City have surged clear at the top, Chelsea have been unable to keep pace with the chasing pack and now sit 10 points adrift of the Champions League spots.

A 1-1 draw in a derby date with West Ham appears to have consigned them to Europa League football, with beleaguered boss Conte tired of discussing the failings of an underperforming side.

The Italian, who continues to see a summer exit at Stamford Bridge mooted, told reporters after another frustrating afternoon on home soil: “This game describes our whole season.

“I’m very frustrated and I hope my players go home and stay frustrated because, in this way, we have the right mentality.

“Otherwise, if we accept this result and say we were unlucky today then we are not building anything positive for the future.

“I’m repeating this many times and I’m getting bored. You are listening always to the same - not clinical.”

Conte added on Chelsea’s top-four bid: “We must be realistic. If we’re not able to win this type of game, we are talking about what?

 “You must win this game if you want to reach a target. In this case, if we wanted to reach a place in the Champions League.

“Other teams are clinical. They create chances, they are ready to suffer and win the game.”

Chelsea may slip even further before the season is over, with Arsenal now just three points behind them in sixth.

The Blues can, however, salvage something from a forgettable campaign by chasing down major silverware in the FA Cup, with Premier League strugglers Southampton lined up for a semi-final showdown on April 22.