Arsenal fans will enjoying the ongoing frustrations from their north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who are set to sack manager Antonio Conte according to recent reports. As per The Telegraph, Spurs will agree to Conte’s departure this week following the Italian’s controversial criticism of his own players following his side’s 3-3 draw against Southampton over the weekend.
Antonio Conte said: “They are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress. It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this. 20 years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club or for every manager that stay here? I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench. You risk to disrupt the figure of the manager and to protect the other situation in every moment.”
This comes less than 12 months after Conte’s equally public criticism of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. The Lillywhites secured a crucial 3-0 victory over the Gunners back in May 2022, a result that helped Tottenham finish above their local rivals and pip them to a top-four finish and Champions League qualification. After the match, Arteta voiced his concerns on the officiating during the match, something that Conte took exception with.
Antonio Conte said: “Arteta is a really good coach but he has just started this job and he has to be more focused on his team and not to keep complaining. In six months here [at Spurs], I have listened to him complaining a lot. He needs to be more calm. But if he doesn’t want to accept my advice, I don’t care.”
Fast forward 10 months and Arteta finds himself at the top of the Premier League table, eight points ahead of second-placed Manchester City and 20 clear of Tottenham. The Spaniard certainly has little to complain about now.
