Monday 6 February 2017 16:33, UK
Thibaut Courtois has revealed that the demands made by manager Antonio Conte are the reasons behind Chelsea's grip on the Premier League summit.
Having swept aside Arsenal 3-1 at Stamford Bridge at the weekend, the Blues opened up a nine-point gap over second-placed Spurs with rivals Liverpool and Arsenal both stumbling.
Having conceded just 17 times this season and with 14 games remaining, Courtois is in bullish mood as his team build momentum with the aid of a spirited Italian head coach towards a title they last won two years ago.
"It''s good if you have a manager who is demanding a lot," the 24-year-old goalkeeper told Sky Sports News HQ.
"You have to be at your top every week, and that's what makes you champion. If you have a manager who is not demanding then sometimes you relax and you lose games."
Courtois, who is left-footed and right-handed, excelled at volleyball from an early age and could have easily pursued a career in that sport.
Some of his saves lend themselves to his time as a top volleyball player as shown from Gabriel's point-blank header with the score at 1-0 against the Gunners.
Courtois is determined to continue his own improvement, highlighting his footwork as an area he feels he can focus on.
"I want to improve myself to reach a higher level," he added. "I think I'm on a very good level, but I know that I can improve myself. I think in everything you can improve.
"When I was in Belgium, I played a lot of ball short. At Atletico Madrid, the trainer preferred only long balls, so you forget to play short a little. So maybe it might be the biggest point of improvement.
"Everything you can improve everyday and search for perfection and that's what I'll try to do."
