Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte baffled at Chelsea being discounted from the title race
Antonio Conte is baffled by the notion of Chelsea not being considered in the race for the 2022/23 Premier League title. Tottenham Hotspur face Chelsea next and the Italian manager praises the Blues.
Spurs are one of the teams in people’s conversations when talking about challengers in the leagues. But Chelsea’s seemingly underwhelming window has changed some fans’ perspective around the Stamford Bridge side.
Speaking ahead of the Lilywhites’ first game against Southampton via football.london, Conte said that it was a “mistake” to rule out a successful side like Chelsea from the conversation of PL title contenders.
“But I think you forgot Chelsea. This is a big, big mistake. You are talking about a team who two seasons ago won the Champions League.
“It is a really big squad, last season they won the World Cup for clubs. Why is Chelsea not in this group of top teams? For me Chelsea are in this group and they want to stay there and they deserve to be considered in this position.”
The West Londoners have been one of the best teams in England over the last few years. Since Thomas Tuchel’s arrival, the Blues have gone toe-to-toe with Manchester City and Liverpool.
An unprecedented crisis at Chelsea has dwindled some of the momentum. The Blues have lost some key players as well this summer. Ownership change has changed the dynamics around the Stamford Bridge club.
Tottenham, on the other hand, have gone into the new season full of confidence. The end of the previous campaign helped buoy Spurs’ spirits. And with the transfer window we’ve had, naturally, expectations are high.
Looking at the two sides’ opening games, one might supposedly argue that Tottenham go into the match as favourites. Spurs beat Southampton with ease while Chelsea struggled to get past Everton.
But we cannot forget the historical context of the game. The Lilywhites have lost the previous five fixtures against the Blues in all competitions. We have managed to get just one point from the Stamford Bridge club in the last seven PL matches against them.
More Tottenham Hotspur News
- Transfer News: Inter Milan still consider Tottenham Hotspur target Milan Skriniar sellable
- Tottenham Transfer News: AC Milan turn to Davinson Sanchez after failed Japhet Tanganga pursuit
- Chelsea propose Christian Pulisic swap deal for Tottenham Hotspur target Nicolo Zaniolo
Chelsea aren’t a side to be taken lightly. Conte certainly feels that way. It’ll be interesting to see how the Italian approaches our next game against Tuchel’s side.
