4 observations from Antonio Conte's first game in charge at Tottenham Hotspur | Premier League 2021-22
Tottenham Hotspur began life anew last weekend under Antonio Conte, but the Italian's stint did not begin with immediate joy. Tottenham were held to a goalless draw away from home by Everton at Goodison Park in a game that did not see many sparks.
It is never easy for a manager coming in midway through a season to a new team and get them to dance to his tune right out of the gates. Conte will need a full preseason with Tottenham to bring out the best in them, at least a winter transfer window for that matter.
First game in charge and Antonio Conte is going through all the emotions 😤 https://t.co/XAt5Vg4Avu
Nevertheless, even in this game, there was an air of change about the Tottenham Hotspur side. On that note, here are four observations from Antonio Conte's first game in charge of his new side:
#1 Change in formation
Everyone was expecting this as soon as it was announced that the former Chelsea man would be taking over the reins at Tottenham Hotspur. It is a well-known fact that Conte prefers a three-at-the-back approach and make use of wing-backs to attack from the wings.
He did that at Chelsea, making them adopt the 3-4-3 formation, and he did it at Internazionale, with a 3-5-2 attack. That is exactly what Conte has done to the Tottenham Hotspur team too, switching them to a 3-4-2-1 formation.
The change in formation came with moving people around. Davies was moved from left-back to left centre-back. Davies-Dier-Romero played at the back with the wing-backs flanking them.
#2 Change in personnel
Conte places a lot of trust in the centre-backs he employs in defence, and he likes to have the wing-backs fully involved in attacking. Moreover, his teams are renowned for working very hard, meaning every player has to fall back and defend when required.
Serge Reguilon made it into his team as a left wing-back at the expense of Lo Celso in midfield. Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg continued as the defending central midfielders, flanked on the right by Emerson.
Antonio Conte's first Spurs XI. ✊ https://t.co/8VPQQ0YMVg
Lucas Moura and Son Heung-Min continued as the attacking midfielders, but were more central behind Harry Kane. Rather than the duo running along the sidelines, it will be Emerson and Serge Reguilon who'll cross balls into the box.