Antonio Conte has insisted that having the right balance between defence and attack is still “the best way” to win trophies in modern football, despite the trend for spectacular attacking football that has brought success for the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool.

Chelsea tomorrow face a Liverpool team who last week bludgeoned their way past AS Roma in the Champions League semi-final with their all-action approach under Jurgen Klopp.

And the open nature of the other Champions League semi-final, between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, provided more evidence of the shift towards more expansive football.

Conte, however, resisted the suggestion that the demands on teams to play attractive football had changed the way the game is played.

“I think there are many styles of football,” he said. “There is not one style that can make you a winner. Last season, City and Liverpool didn’t win and I think their style was always the same.