Rio Ferdinand believes that Antonio Conte is doing better than Jose Mourinho due to the fact that the Italian had a headstart at Chelsea.

Conte arrived at Stamford Bridge with a Chelsea side which struggled under Mourinho over the summer and the Italian boss has managed to completely transform the Blues during the current campaign.

Under Conte, Chelsea have suddenly become strong contenders to claim the Premier League title once again but despite the fine work he has done in West London so far, United legend Ferdinand has stated that the ex-Juventus boss has had it easier than Mourinho due to the fact that he inherited a strong team.

"I just think Conte was starting with a better group of players, a team who had more cohesion and players who had the potential to be more of a team. And we are seeing that now," Ferdinand told ESPN.

"The year before [2014-15], they were champions. The last season gone, they didn't perform well at all.

"The players that made them champions, [Eden] Hazard and [Diego] Costa, didn't perform. This season they are performing, within a structure, and they're top of the league."