Inter followed up last week’s monumental derby win with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Davide Ballardini’s Genoa at San Siro.
A first minute strike from Romelu Lukaku set the Nerazzuri on their way, before Lukaku’s former Manchester United team mates Matteo Darmian and Alexis Sanchez put gloss on a routine win.
Inter’s undefeated streak over Genoa continued and here is what we learned from Conte’s men as they moved ten points ahead of Juventus.
1) Matteo Darmian Supreme
Much has been made of the Manchester United contingent now making waves at San Siro.
Amongst the ranks there sits four players who have made the move from Old Trafford and perhaps the one with the least fanfare has been Matteo Darmian.
After a solid term with Parma last year, Darmian has had an excellent campaign so far when called upon by Antonio Conte.
Against Genoa on Sunday, the ex-Torino man scored his first for the club to cap off an excellent performance.
Every squad needs versatile depth and in this case Inter are lucky to have a player of his calibre to call upon.
2) Roberto Gagliardini Belongs On The Bench
Despite doing his best to shoehorn the former Atalanta man in at any possible opportunity, it appears now that Conte has given up on starting Gagliardini.
Christian Eriksen offers so much more and it finally appears that the manager has seen that and given up on trying to keep Eriksen on the sidelines.
With it being a long season and games coming thick and fast, it makes sense to utilise the squad but as Inter now have just one competition to focus on, their strongest XI can play every game.
Keep Gagliardini as an impact sub.
3) Inter’s Defence Rock Solid
Despite the odd lapse in communication with the balls in the box, the Inter back three look formidable.
Just one goal has made its way past the Inter back line in the past seven Serie A matches as the side have now worked themselves into having the league’s best defensive record.
Much has been made of the decline in performances of Samir Handanovic and the mix match defensive pairings early season, but it has now become apparent that Inter are much stronger with their premier three starting.
4) Antonio Conte Proving He’s Top Drawer On The Training Ground
Many times over the past decade Antonio Conte has been labelled as the best manager in the world when he has a week to prepare for a game.
Since Inter’s exit from Europe, his side have found another gear and have lost just once in the league since and have now won eight straight home games.
Tactically the side look confident within their roles.
The transition between attack and defence is as fluid as anything seen from an Inter side in over a decade.
The likes of Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku have been effusive in their praise of their coach in the media in recent weeks, leaving those outside the club purring over the job the manager is doing.
Long may this confident fluid Inter continue.
5) Busy Week Ahead
A busy week now awaits Inter as they take on inform Atalanta following a trip to basement boys Parma.
With the likes of Cagliari, Sassuolo and Torino on the horizon, if Inter can take six points they can start to hit the home straight with some comfortable fixtures on paper.
Three huge wins over the past couple of weeks leaves Inter clear of Milan in second place but it is imperative that they continue to hit the straps.
One game at a time is the cliché but the argument reigns supreme.
Inter have it in their hands now but they must not switch off. Get through this week and they can look forward.