Coverciano outside Florence has been the nerve centre of the Italian game for almost 60 years and the reverence in which it is held by many seems to have had a positive effect on plenty of its graduatesAs long as he doesn’t blow it, and nothing in his record suggests that he will, sometime within the next three months Antonio Conte will become the fourth Italian manager to lead a team to the Premier League title. Remarkably, that quartet – in which he would join Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Mancini and Claudio Ranieri – will have claimed the English championship in four of the past eight seasons.No English-born manager, of course, has won the title since Howard Wilkinson in 1991-92, the...
Arsène Wenger elected to play a 4-3-3 but Antonio Conte’s side essentially attack with five players and this was underlined by the Premier League leaders’ first goalArsenal’s 3-1 defeat by Chelsea felt somewhat familiar; it was their seventh loss from their past eight visits to Stamford Bridge. However, whereas Arsène Wenger has frequently been accused of tactical naivety after these defeats and ridiculed for failing to adapt his tactics, on this occasion Arsenal’s manager had attempted to surprise Chelsea with his lineup. Related: Arsenal’s Arsène Wenger fumes at first goal after defeat by Chelsea Related: Eden Hazard mesmerises Arsenal to tighten Chelsea’s Premier League grip Continue reading...
Liverpool played with renewed intensity at Anfield but their visitors unveiled a more vigilant blueprint that could prove crucial in holding off their title rivalsLiverpool and Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at Anfield on Tuesday promised to be a fascinating tactical battle between two well organised sides, but ultimately was largely about energy and intensity rather than master strategy. Chelsea’s manager, Antonio Conte, will be delighted with the result, as it harms Liverpool’s chances of overhauling his side – and we may see this cagier, more defensive approach again against Arsenal on Saturday.Liverpool, after three extremely sluggish performances and three damaging defeats, delivered the type of energetic display we became accustomed to in the first half of the campaign. With Daniel Sturridge...
Defeat against Chelsea on Tuesday would derail Liverpool’s campaign. After such a bright start, questions are being asked about why it has started to go wrongJürgen Klopp said Liverpool require “faith, belief and confidence” to arrest their sudden slump when Chelsea visit Anfield on Tuesday, when a fourth consecutive home defeat would equal an unwanted club record dating back to December 1923. He and his players must also find solutions for dealing with opponents who rely on disciplined defending and the counterattack as their problems have been repeated on a loop this month. Related: Wolves’ Paul Lambert proud but Jürgen Klopp admits: ‘We’re not flying’ Related: Jürgen Klopp: ‘Why do people listen to what football managers have to say?’ Continue...
The league leaders were without their top scorer but oozed authority and were a delight to watch in the 3-0 win over Leicester, sending a warning to their rivalsBack at the stadium that hosted the acrid final scene of the second José Mourinho era, the stage was seemingly set for Chelsea to give their title rivals further encouragement that they can be caught. The defeat at Tottenham Hotspur had stalled their momentum, while the deliciously unexpected twist in the explosive Diego Costa story heightened the intrigue before kick-off at Leicester City. A trip to the champions felt like a fine test of their character.Yet even though Chelsea were without their main striker, who was dropped after a row over a...