He came, he saw and he’s conquering with more style than any rivals

IT’S not often Phil Neville speaks for a vast section of the footballing nation, but he did so on Monday night.

Towards the end of yet another long discussion on whether Arsene Wenger should go or stay, he told Five Live listeners the subject had become so boring he wasn’t going to talk about it again. This from a man who could have ‘How To Bore’ as his specialist Mastermind subject.

He will, of course. We all will. Because if you’re an Arsenal fan it’s the thought that gives you a sickening jolt as you stagger half-asleep to your 3am toilet break, and if you’re not, it’s BAFTA-winning car crash TV.

But what followed Neville’s dissing of the Wenger soul-searching, Chelsea’s visit to West Ham, reminded us there’s another story involving a foreign coach working in London that is far more deserving of questions. The main one being, has any manager in his first season in England cut such an impressive figure as Antonio Conte?

It’s still too early to call as Jose Mourinho (below, left) won a title with a recordbreaking 95 points and Carlo Ancelotti (below, right) did the Double in their initial seasons here.

But were Conte to win the title by the margin he now holds, plus the FA Cup, with a team that finished 10th last year, at a time when serious money has never been spread wider and the quality of world-class coaches has never been higher, then his impact would surely be unmatched.

Many thought it would be Pep Guardiola taking the Premier League apart in his maiden season, that Mourinho, having spent £150million, would take United back to the summit, or Jurgen Klopp, in his first full term, would be blazing a trail.

But no one has turned heads, with his touchline charisma or on-pitch tactics, like Conte. And the odds of 4/1 for the Double look generous.

That clinical win at West Ham showcased his greatest achievement: Improving virtually every player, some beyond recognition.

Once again, Victor Moses defended like an Italian and attacked like a Brazilian wingback, Gary Cahill snuffed out every threat, David Luiz made light of comments, like those from Paul Merson on his Chelsea return – “I’m surprised PSG didn’t drop him off”, Pedro showed the Barcelona pedigree that was invisible last year, and Eden Hazard played with the freedom and swagger of old.

And then there’s the curious case of Diego Costa, who only seven weeks ago had an Alexis Sanchez-sized bust-up with Conte (above) as he sought an exit from the club.

Unlike Wenger, Conte didn’t semi-drop him by putting him on the bench, he told him he wasn’t travelling to the match at Leicester, and would only be back in the squad when his attitude improved. Costa was back playing and scoring by the next game, and his winner on Monday puts him on 17 league goals, five more than the whole of last season.

These are players transformed, going about their work confident in the knowledge that every team-mate knows exactly what they’re supposed to be doing, as drilled as an SAS regiment, and winning nearly every time they dare to.

On Monday, Mourinho returns to Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup, no doubt with the memory of October’s 4-0 league thrashing there eating away at him. Back then he told Conte his wild celebrations after the fourth goal “were humiliating for us”.

If it happens again, maybe Conte should take a leaf from Jose’s book, by shaking his hand before the final whistle and walking smugly down the tunnel.

It would be an apt image for an Italian who came, saw and conquered way before anyone expected.