Luciano Spalletti appeared particularly enthusiastic about his team's performance after they secured a solid 2-0 win over Empoli despite playing a third of the match a man light.
"Today the team showed they can grind out wins and have the mentality of league leaders,” the boss began after full time at the Stadio Castellani.
“I was a little worried we might not be able to fight as hard as our opponents today, but everyone pulled their weight and they all deserve credit for the shift they put in. I can't praise them highly enough for the superb performances they keep knocking out.
“I was especially pleased with the work we did in midfield. We put our foot in and scrapped for every ball with incredible determination.
“This team is amazing. There are no words to describe them. Everyone we face seems to be playing for their lives and if we're where we are at this stage of the season it means I have a group of lads who know how to handle every game the right way, displaying the mindset and the spirit you need as a squad if you want to come out on top in every game."
On Mario Rui's red card: “Situations like that can happen but that's when the team stepped up and showed just how good they are. We kept running and maintained the same intensity even with 10 men. It wasn't at all easy to beat Empoli because they attack you on every ball.”
