Antonio Conte has been in situ at Chelsea for only a little more than 10 weeks but, even at this early stage, he deemed the time right to deliver a reminder of the merits of long‑term thinking. The Italian spent much of his pre-match media conference on Friday fielding questions about Arsène Wenger’s durability over two decades across the capital.
Like eight of the nine permanent managers, and two interims, who have held office at Stamford Bridge while Arsenal have been overseen by the Frenchman, he spoke respectfully of an underlying admiration for his opposite number’s longevity before briefly putting himself in an owner’s shoes. “If you see a coach or manager is working well but, during the season, the team goes through a period when it does not win, you must consider his job as a whole,” he said.
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