Chelsea defeat turns up pressure on Tottenham board to back Antonio Conte in the transfer market

Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I
Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP23 January 2022

After the heady euphoria of Wednesday’s last-gasp win at Leicester, Tottenham came crashing back down to earth with a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, which ended Antonio Conte’s unbeaten start in the Premier League.

The 3-2 win at the King Power Stadium felt like a potentially significant juncture in Conte’s transformation of the club, particularly as it came in the wake of the one-side Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Thomas Tuchel’s side. The result suggested an improved resilience and mentality, the hallmarks of Conte’s best side.

But a patched-up and much-changed Spurs went down to Chelsea for the third time this month, offering another reminder, if needed, of the chasm between the clubs and the scale of the task still facing the Italian. As it turns out, one dramatic win has not narrowed the gap between these London rivals.

Knocks to Oliver Skipp, Emerson Royal, Lucas Moura and Sergio Reguilon, along with Conte’s decision to leave Dele Alli, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso out of the squad despite the trio being fit, left the head coach’s options depleted.

Given Conte’s available personnel, a first defeat in nine League games in charge – and Chelsea’s first League win since Boxing Day – should not come as a great surprise, and Spurs can take comfort from the fact that their season will not be defined by these games.

Their realistic aim remains to finish fourth – behind Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Nonetheless, another one-sided contest will surely increase Conte’s desire for reinforcements before the end of the month and up the pressure on the club to back the manager.

Conte admitted pre-match that Spurs were facing “a bit of emergency” and he switched to 4-4-2, claiming he had chosen a formation to suit his available players.

Indeed, it was the first time Conte has started a Premier League game with a back four since Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat at Arsenal in September 2016, when he reverted to a three at half-time – a tactical change which led a record-breaking winning run and ultimately the title.

If the approach was designed to contain and frustrate Chelsea, it worked well for the first half, with the Blues dominating the play but kept at arm’s length by Spurs’ two banks of four.

The visitors might have even gone in at half-time ahead after Harry Kane’s goal was – perhaps harshly – ruled out for his push on Thiago Silva in the build up.

But it took less than three minutes of the second half for Spurs’ resistance to break, Hakim Ziyech curling a stunning strike into the top corner from 25 yards, which left Hugo Lloris rooted to the spot.

Japhet Tanganga, who was Spurs’ weak link particularly after a first-half booking, was beaten too easily by Callum Hudson-Odoi in the build-up, and Ziyech would have been delighted to be shown inside on his left foot.

Silva doubled their lead soon after with a glancing header from Mason Mount’s free-kick, with Eric Dier giving away the foul but convinced the decision was soft.

Spurs’ hopes of a comeback rested on the introduction of the half-fit Skipp and Lucas, while the inexperienced Bryan Gil was Conte’s third substitute, as the paucity of Conte’s squad was underlined again.

Even with Conte and Kane, Spurs look unable to compete with Chelsea without their XI at full strength.

Although it didn’t feel like it, perhaps another miserable defeat to Chelsea could prove another step in the Contefication of Spurs.

It was telling that Conte would rather rip up his preferred formation and rely on struggling subs than turn to Dele, Ndombele and Lo Celso, and their absences suggested he is prepared to only pick the players he fully trusts going forward.

This stance could soften after the transfer window if they are still at the club, but Conte has shown his hand in a power-play aimed at Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and managing director Fabio Paratici, who will be in charge of comings and goings in the final week of the window.