Antonio Conte defends 'unlucky' Alvaro Morata but warns Chelsea striker 'must improve' after Arsenal misses

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Vaishali Bhardwaj3 January 2018

Antonio Conte says Alvaro Morata is going through an "unlucky" time in his Chelsea career after the striker missed a host of chances to score against Arsenal on Wednesday night.

The Spaniard, who is Chelsea's top scorer this season with 12 goals in all competitions, was defended by Conte after he failed to find the back of the net in Chelsea's 5-0 win over Stoke on Saturday.

But after Morata did the same as Chelsea drew 2-2 with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, Conte admitted the 25-year-old has room to improve though is happy with the striker's effort on the pitch.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Conte said: "It's not a lucky period for him.

"In the last game against Stoke, I said it was important for a striker to have the chances to score. Today he had chances to score but it's football and I'm happy for his commitment.

"He works hard for the team. That's the most important thing for me. If he scores, his confidence goes up. In this case, it can go down.

"He's very young, he must improve. He must stay calm. I understand it's not easy for a striker if he doesn't score but it's the first season where he is playing regularly. The goal will be coming."

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