Chelsea beat West Ham, Watford and Burnley at the start of the campaign before drawing with Swansea, losing to Liverpool and then suffering a humbling 3-0 defeat at Arsenal, which even prompted speculation over Conte's future in some quarters.

The former Italy coach switched his formation to a 3-4-3 during the Arsenal game and has kept faith with those tactics amid a phenomenal run of form that has seen Chelsea establish a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

Conte, who attended Sunday night's Derby d'Italia between Juventus and Inter, said in a discussion with Gianluca Vialli and Paolo Di Canio that he had "continued defiantly" during the problematic start of the season because he believed in his work.

"It's the work itself that helped me," he said. "I believe blindly in what I do.

"The start of the season was a delicate, but not tragic, period: we won three matches at the start, but I didn't like the way we had won them.

"We drew with Swansea and then defeats against Liverpool and Arsenal were acceptable by Chelsea's standards at the time -- we need to compare it with the previous season, when Chelsea finished 10th, as we started off with roughly the same players, and it's not like all of a sudden the ugly duckling can transform into a swan.

"In those moments I just kept believing in my work. I thought: 'If I have to die, at least I will die true to my own ideas.'

"That's why I was so strict in all senses and never looked for compromises -- despite the fact that usually, when you arrive at a new club, you do try to find a balance between old and new -- because I am not a coach who can work like that. I never accept compromises."

Conte said his current tactical approach "emphasises the players' individual characteristics," adding "I believe this is a fundamental part of our success.

"We had the flexibility, intelligence even, to find the best positions and situations to exalt the characteristics of every single player, which we've achieved in the 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-3 we play."

Conte said remains concerned that any of the five clubs behind Chelsea could yet catch them, despite sixth-placed Manchester United being 14 points behind, due to his previous negative experiences in the game.

He had been part of the Italy squads that lost the 1994 World Cup and Euro 2000 finals and came on as a substitute in Juventus' 2003 Champions League final loss to AC Milan.

"I'm concerned about all five clubs pursuing us, and I'm not just saying that out of superstition -- I talk from experience, especially as a player," he said.

"We won a lot but we also lost a lot. In my career we won a Champions League [with Juventus in 1996] but also lost three finals including a World Cup final, and that has made me hungry and very competitive.

"Today when they talk about Chelsea as having already won the title I say: 'Not yet.' We still have 14 games to go and plenty of work to do. There are no easy games in the Premier League, because this is a league where anything is possible.

"We ourselves are proof of that at Chelsea, as we were eight points behind the leaders after six games and now we are nine points ahead of second place. This forces us to be always wary and always careful."