Tottenham’s coach has made his reputation as a master tactician and he showed why when his side stalled the Chelsea juggernaut with a 2-0 home winMauricio Pochettino has earned a reputation as a fine tactician, and this was a very impressive strategic performance by the Tottenham Hotspur coach against Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 system – the first time anyone has truly outwitted Chelsea in that shape.Since Conte switched to 3-4-3 after a 3-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in September, Chelsea had won all 13 league matches, and had been so utterly dominant that opposition managers have found themselves terrified of playing their regular system for fear of being torn apart. The problem, though, is that no one had actually...
Leicester City’s title win was every bit the fairy story, as was Wales’ run at Euro 2016, but England displayed their unerring ability to ruin the moodThe year 2016 was a terrific one for the Premier League and a terrible 12 months for English football. Leicester City’s title success was every bit the fairytale, the perfect antidote to long-held and justifiable fears that ordinary clubs could no longer dream of glory as the bigger institutions and the Champions League elite had effectively ringfenced all the prizes worth winning. Related: A 2016 football moment to remember: Dejan Lovren sets the Kop on fire | Paul Doyle Arsenal and Tottenham are particularly guilty of dithering instead of cashing in on managerial changes elsewhereI've...
The Italian’s changes that have diffused tension from last season were highlighted as the 1-0 win at Crystal Palace secured a club record 11th straight league winRewind, briefly, to the tipping point. Antonio Conte’s initial reaction to that heavy defeat at Arsenal back in September had been one of fury. He was livid, humiliated, crushed and, in the emotional heart-to-heart he conducted with his coaching staff, he questioned himself and the task he had taken on at Chelsea. It took a while for those emotions to simmer down and rational thought to return but then, as he surveyed the scene in the away dressing room, he recognised broken players still haunted by the trauma of underachievement last season, and realised...
Antonio Conte’s side are six points clear at the top of the Premier League after 10 straight wins but can they maintain their form to clinch the title?Chelsea have won 10 straight Premier League games, they are six points clear at the top of the table and their progress towards the title seems inexorable. But are Antonio Conte’s team really that good? Can they answer some critical questions? Related: Chelsea's perfect 10 and Zola in at Birmingham – Football Weekly Extra Related: Premier League: 10 talking points from the midweek action Continue reading...
Inaugural meeting of minds off the pitch excites Catalan as his Italian counterpart brings a side to the Etihad after seven straight Premier League winsConsidering Saturday’s high‑stakes visit of Chelsea Pep Guardiola was breezy when discussing the challenge of Antonio Conte’s Premier League leaders. There was a quip about still having hair “a long time ago”, when he played against the Italian in Serie A, and a playful grimace when one questioner confused the former Juventus manager with Carlo Ancelotti, a predecessor at Stamford Bridge.Conte, it is understood, was City’s second choice behind Guardiola to replace Manuel Pellegrini and the Catalan was serious when discussing his counterpart’s quality as well as a challenging December programme which starts with Chelsea and includes...