Antonio Conte explains why the Carabao Cup semi-finals against Chelsea is crucial for Tottenham Hotspur
Antonio Conte gave his thoughts on why he believes the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals against Chelsea is significant for Tottenham Hotspur. The match is set to take place later today as both teams will try to push their chances of acquiring a trophy for this season.
Tottenham have had a resurgence under the tenure of the Italian boss, but the last couple of games have been a bit underwhelming in terms of performance. The Blues had an excellent showing against Liverpool and would be looking to use that to boost themselves to win this fixture.
Speaking in an interview with Spurs TV (h/t Tottenham Hotspur official website), Conte has conveyed that Thomas Tuchel’s side would pose a stern test for Spurs, and they have to be ready for it.
“We know very well that Chelsea are an amazing team, they won the Champions League last season, and they improved the squad compared to last season. It will be very difficult for us, but, at the same time, in this type of game, you can prove to yourselves the level you are at in this moment. It will be important for us to have a good game and to get a good result in the first leg.”
A message to Spurs
We had a bit of a slump in our displays in the last two games, but it could also be down to tiredness creeping into the squad. We have enjoyed a couple of days of rest and had plenty of time to prepare for this match. The team has to raise their level as they did against Liverpool during the 2-2 draw in the Premier League.
While we are not getting ahead of ourselves, we have certainly closed the gap to the heavyweights in the league. The West London club has had a dip of their own and is not the defensive powerhouse they were at the beginning of the season. That could play into our hands since our attack has improved considerably while our creativity has improved as well.
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Most of us noticed the lack of quality in our crosses recently, so we are hopeful that the issue has been worked upon in the days leading up to the knockout round clash. A good result away at Stamford Bridge would give us control over this tie while also cementing the improvements we have made under the manager so far.
We have to give the cup competitions more importance as it gives us more chances of putting an end to the title drought. It would not be right to ask the 52-year-old boss to achieve titles in the first season itself, but it is certainly achievable if we give it our all in the domestic cup competitions.
Once the trophy drought ends, it could spark an era where we can then constantly challenge for titles every season. We have the players and the backroom staff capable of doing it, after all.
