Not Sarri how I use Kante...

Brighton v Chelsea Today, 1.30pm

DEFIANT Maurizio Sarri maintains he will not back down over his decision to play N’golo Kante away from the spot that made him a superstar.

Kante, 27, has won titles with Leicester and Chelsea and the World Cup with France – all in consecutive seasons playing in defensive midfield.

Sarri, however, has replaced him with Italy playmaker Jorginho, the Brazilian who he worked with at Napoli, and

Kante

B(below with Sarri) has been playing further forward on the right.

Former pros and pundits have criticised the switch, but Sarri appeared to be vindicated last weekend when Chelsea ended Manchester City’s unbeaten start to the season, blowing the title race wide open.

Sarri, whose men go to Brighton today, said: “If you buy Jorginho and have Fabregas, I think you have to play 4-3-3.

“If you play 4-3-3 in my style of football, then the central midfielder is a very technical player. Jorginho is very fast in the mind. He is able to play one touch or two touch. Fabregas also is technically really very good.”

Kante was the surprise f first scorer in last Sa Saturday’s shock win ov over City. Sarri refused to suggest he’d been vindicated, vin but said: “I can ca understand that somebody som might think something so different, but bu if you think to my football, fo you have to say sa that I am right.”