Chelsea boss Sarri focused solely on Palace as Premier League record looms

Maurizio Sarri is refusing to think about equalling Frank Clark’s record unbeaten run for a new Premier League manager in Sunday’s clash with Crystal Palace.

Chelsea boss Sarri will equal the 11 Premier League matches without defeat that Clark racked up as the new manager of Nottingham Forest back in 1994, should the Blues avoid defeat at Stamford Bridge this weekend.

Former Napoli head coach Sarri is intent on ignoring that chance to make history however, preferring instead to focus his players’ minds on the pure task of taking on Roy Hodgson’s Eagles.

“I don’t want to think about the record now, because we have to think only about the match,” Sarri said.

“We have to think only about the game points.

“The record is only a consequence, a result of the match.

“For now, I have to send to my players the message that only this match is important. All the rest is a consequence.”

Former finance expert Sarri has guided Chelsea to third in the Premier League table, with seven wins and three draws from 10 matches, leaving the Blues trailing Liverpool and Manchester City by just two points.

Sarri has consistently maintained he feels a Premier League title race will prove beyond Chelsea this term.

Asked then if he could have foretold this start to his Chelsea career, Sarri replied: “No, because in every experience that I have had before, I was in trouble in the first two months.

“So I thought that it was the same here.

“I think that here I have been lucky. Because the players were able to win without a very good level of tactical organisation.”