LONDON -- Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte believes that Diego Costa is proving himself to be one of the best strikers in the world this season, but insists that he values the Spain international's commitment over his goals.
Costa leads the Premier League scoring charts with nine goals in Chelsea's first 11 matches of the season, and has also supplied three assists -- meaning that he has been directly involved in more goals than any other player in the division.
Despite withdrawing from Spain duty with a groin injury during the international break Conte is confident that Costa will be fully fit to try and continue his blistering form against Middlesbrough on Sunday, and says that the 28-year-old's all-round contribution has helped set the tone for the collective performances that have seen Chelsea rise to second in the table.
"Diego is a very good player," Conte said. "It's important for me, for his teammates, to see that in every game, Diego works a lot with the ball and without the ball. He's an example for all. And I want to continue this way.
"If he continues to score, I'll be very happy. But I'll be happier to see this commitment, this work-rate during training and in games, to work with the team with and without the ball. If all the players are able to think in this way, it's fantastic and we'll be a good team, a very tough team to play."
After four bookings in his first six Premier League matches, Costa has also shown greater discipline in recent weeks. But one more yellow card before Dec. 31 will lead to an automatic one-match suspension.
Failure to walk the disciplinary tight rope could be costly for Chelsea with matches against rivals Tottenham and Manchester City to follow Sunday's clash with Middlesbrough, but Conte has taken heart from the self-control his striker has exhibited in his last few matches.
"Diego is showing he can control himself," Conte added. "It's fantastic, I think, that Diego is improving a lot in a lot of aspects. For me now, Diego is one of the best strikers in the world. He must continue that, working in this way, with his commitment and work-rate.
"It's fantastic to see his work during the games, but also in training."
Chelsea enjoyed a run of five consecutive Premier League wins prior to the international break, scoring 16 goals and conceding none, and Conte admits he has stressed the importance of maintaining recent momentum to his players.
"We are working, we are working [during] these days to avoid this," Conte said. "We are working in these days to find the right concentration and focus. On Sunday we know we'll have a tough game against a strong team who drew with Arsenal and Manchester City.
"I must be honest, there is this possibility, to stop our momentum. But we are working very hard to avoid this. I'm confident that we'll find the right way very quickly. In this situation it's important to keep the concentration very high. It's normal that the focus, the concentration, is a bit low in this situation.
"I'm worried to [make sure we] keep this concentration. I'm worried to keep that high intensity and right spirit in training. That's the most important thing. When you win five or six in a row, that's what you think about."