"England has to be proud about this" - Antonio Conte delivers his verdict on Liverpool vs Chelsea Carabao Cup final
Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has marveled at the quality of the contest between Liverpool and Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
Liverpool and Chelsea could not be separated in extra time as the game went to penalties. All 11 players from both sides had to take penalties, and eventually Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga missed his kick from the spot.
Liverpool’s win over Chelsea in the final means they are now the most successful team in the history of the competition with nine League Cup wins.
“I want to celebrate the game between Chelsea and Liverpool. It was a great, exciting game to watch.
“Great congratulations from me to Chelsea and Liverpool, the players, the coaches, for the fans, for the total environment."
- Antonio Conte
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The quality of the game was high, even though the finishing wasn’t. Both Liverpool and Chelsea created several openings, but the attackers fluffed their lines.
Conte, who hopes to end Tottenham’s wait for some silverware, explained how the level of the two teams shows why it is hard to win titles in England.
The Italian said in his press conference:
"I want to celebrate the game between Chelsea and Liverpool yesterday. This also underlines how difficult it is to win trophies in this country. It was amazing for me and all the people in other countries to watch this game.
"Great congratulations from me to Chelsea and Liverpool, the players, the coaches, for the fans, for the total environment it was a fantastic sport for football. I think that England has to be proud about this."
Tottenham will hope to match Liverpool and Chelsea’s consistency under Conte
Tottenham Hotspur have been able to compete with some of the best teams this season as they have beaten Manchester City twice and held Liverpool.
However, Antonio Conte’s side have lacked consistency. A win against Manchester City was followed by a defeat at the hands of Burnley last month.
Tottenham can still finish in the top four as they have two games in hand over Manchester United, who are fourth.
Antonio Conte: "First of all I want to say thanks to the fans because I think that I don’t deserve after only four months to have this - them chanting for me. For me this is incredible."
- Daily Express https://t.co/1Z9sOgDQoP
But they are still pretty far from the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea in terms of their progression.
The two sides have a clear game plan and the experience of winning silverware in recent seasons. They are the only two sides who have been able to compete with Manchester City in Europe and in the Premier League on a consistent basis.
Conte still has a lot of work to do as Spurs look to match the teams above them and end their wait for silverware.