The Blues halted a three-match winless sequence with this comfortable victory after switching to a new formation, with three central defenders and wing-backs.
It was a system Italian Conte favoured as manager of his country and at Juventus, where he won three Serie A titles.
Almost as soon as Diego Costa’s seventh league goal of the season rippled the net after the opener from Willian, Conte was pictured barking orders from the touchline, ordering his team to keep a clean sheet.
His players duly obliged, for only the second time this season.
“Obviously we work for this and it’s always nice not to concede goals,” said defender Cesar Azpilicueta, who switched from full-back to join David Luiz and Gary Cahill at centre-back.
“In the last month we have been conceding too many goals and this is bad for the whole team.
“The manager is always trying to find the best solution for the team for the game and this week we have been working on the system.”
Mike Phelan is eager to sign a contract to become permanent manager at the KCOM Stadium but he says the terms of the deal he has been offered have “fluctuated”.
“It’s a situation where things just need to be ironed out,” said Phelan.
“The terms will always be private but they’ve fluctuated so I want to know what’s going on, where I sit, what I can and can’t do – all those questions need answering.
“And when you think you’re there, which I did – I thought it was all sorted – it changed. I wanted to know why and I still need to know that.”