Conte has a major problem at Tottenham Hotspur called Arsenal: Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher considers Arsenal to be a “big challenge” for Antonio Conte because Tottenham supporters will be envious of their style of play.
The Gunners have made a sensational start to the season, winning nine of their first 11 Premier League games to lead Manchester City by two points at the top of the league. They have also qualified for the Europa League quarterfinals.
All of this was accomplished by Mikel Arteta’s team by playing quick, thrilling football in front of ecstatic spectators at the Emirates.
Carragher believes that fans on the other side of North London would love to see Spurs manager Conte follow a similar mindset.
“Conte has a major problem at Tottenham Hotspur,” wrote Carragher in The Telegraph. “It is called Arsenal. One team in North London is generating headlines for playing with a youthful, energetic swagger. The other is seen as more pragmatic and counterattacking.
“Neither side is ‘right’ or ‘better’ in their approach – it remains to be seen whether Mikel Arteta or Conte win more trophies at the end of their respective reigns – but Tottenham supporters are looking at their rivals and craving similar edge-of-the-seat football.”
Arteta was Pep Guardiola’s assistant between July 2016 and December 2019 at the Etihad, where he shaped his coaching philosophy.
During his five seasons as a player for Arsenal, the former midfielder will have also been impacted by Arsene Wenger.
The season of Tottenham is not going as planned. After finishing fourth in the Premier League last season and signing players such as Ivan Perisic, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Djeb Spence, and Clement Lenglet, Conte’s squad was expected to perform well.
Despite having played one extra game, Spurs trail Arsenal by five points in the Premier League after consecutive losses to Manchester United and Newcastle.
They might potentially be eliminated from the Champions League if they lose Tuesday against Marseille in France.
Despite the fact that Arsenal are having a stronger season than Tottenham, Carragher believes that Arteta has a long way to go before he can be compared to Conte. The Italian has won four Serie A championships with both Juventus and Inter Milan.
During his two-year tenure at Chelsea, where he was voted LMA Manager of the Year in 2017, Conte also won the Premier League title and FA Cup. Arteta has only been a manager for three years, yet he has already won the FA Cup and Community Shield.
Carragher added: “I get that one team in London is currently flying with an exciting brand of football. But for all the praise of Arteta this season – and I agree with it – there is an irony that he would consider his career a success if wins half as much as Conte already has.
“Arteta is in the process of proving himself capable of being a Premier League winner. Conte already is one with nothing to prove.”
Conte has a major problem at Tottenham Hotspur called Arsenal: Jamie Carragher
