Antonio Conte back to his well-dressed, happy warrior self as Chelsea win

From laughing at Diego Costa to praising everyone involved in Sunday’s win, Antonio Conte restored the mood around Chelsea this weekend. Now let’s never see him on the touchline in a tracksuit again.

Antonio Conte started Chelsea’s weekend off on the right note. He was relaxed, talkative, even light-hearted in his Friday press conference – and that was before the Diego Costa question that sent him into fits of laughter. His laughter and his mood were contagious, as the incredulous reporters joined in.

It was a refreshing change from the tension in the media room the previous week. Conte was reticent on all matters – transfers, injuries, suspensions. Not that there was much good news to go around, but Antonio Conte made no effort to put a positive spin on anything. And when he faced a question about the Costa situation – with the public threats of legal action fresh in the air – Chelsea’s head of communications quickly stepped in.

Similarly, Conte left his tracksuit where it belongs at Cobham and returned to his sartorial savvy with a black suit and tie against Tottenham. Conte knows there is a time and place for everything. As a hands-on, get-involved training ground manager, he would never wear a suit at practice. Nor should he ever wear a trackie on game day. The Blues play better, and Conte celebrates harder, when he dresses for the occasion.

Conte did not appear relieved after Sunday’s win. Relief implies escape infused with luck. Conte was content. He crafted a precise strategy to defeat Tottenham, and with one momentary exception his men executed that strategy perfectly.

He knew how important this win was for the players and the club, let alone himself. Because of that he knew how important it was for everyone to enjoy their place in the moment before returning to work on Monday.

"I want to thank my players, everyone, because they showed me great desire, great spirit, great will, and great heart… I also want to thank our fans because the atmosphere was incredible… I repeat, I am very happy: when I see this type of game, this spirit, this heart, this desire, I must be satisfied. My players gave me everything today. They did the same last season. – Chelsea FC"

Conte reflects and shapes the club’s mood more so than any manager the Blues have had in recent memory. Jose Mourinho’s sour-puss demeanor became his poker face, unless he was manipulating something that required him to smile. Among other Premier League managers, Jurgen Klopp is one of the only other managers whose emotions are one with the club’s.

Next: Chelsea and Tottenham rewrote the narratives of their transfer situations

From Friday morning to Sunday evening, Chelsea fans enjoyed the Antonio Conte of last season. He set aside the tension of the transfer window, the Diego Costa silliness and the concerns of the starting XI. As a result, Chelsea ended the weekend with three points and the fans have another batch of Conte memes and gifs.

It’s good to have that Antonio Conte back along with the club’s winning ways. And we’re serious about the tracksuit. Never again.