"I do not see a solution in the transfer window" - Conte admits there is a 'gap' between Chelsea and Spurs
Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte believes there is an "important gap" between his side and Chelsea. Conte's Spurs lost 2-0 to the Blues in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final on Wednesday night.
Tottenham managed just five shots on the night, with just two being on target. They were also poor defensively, despite fielding a reasonably strong playing XI. While Kai Havertz scored just five minutes into the game, Hakim Ziyech's 34th-minute set-piece went in off two Spurs players, with Ben Davies getting the final touch.
🗣️ "Tottenham in the last years, the level has dropped."
Antonio Conte gave his honest unfiltered opinion on the gap between Tottenham and Chelsea 👀 https://t.co/iF2SNwnIf3
Conte was disappointed with the result and acknowledged that there is a gulf in quality between Tottenham and Chelsea. Speaking after the game, the Italian was quoted as saying by The Guardian:
“There’s an important gap, an important difference, there’s a big job to do to retrieve the situation. I know the situation, it is very clear in this moment there is an important gap. If we think we are close [to Chelsea] we are not in the right way.”
Conte added that activity in the ongoing transfer window alone will not help them improve the side drastically and asked for patience. He added:
“We need time, so much time, to retrieve the situation. You cannot do this in only six months or one year. They were much stronger than us. I do not see a solution in this transfer window.”
"There is not a comparison" - Conte believes Spurs are not at Chelsea's level
Saul Niguez's game by numbers vs. Tottenham:
100% long ball accuracy
89% pass accuracy
69 touches
55 passes
6 tackles (most)
3 interceptions (=most)
2 shots
2 chances created
Dominating in the midfield. 🙌 https://t.co/vuRZD84z38
The Spurs boss concluded by praising Thomas Tuchel's side, calling them one of the best teams in the world.
“Last season Chelsea won the Champions League and this is enough to explain the difference between us and them. It was a difficult game, difficult from the start, Chelsea were much better but we are talking about one of the best teams in Europe, in the world. If you compare the two teams there is not a comparison.”
The Blues had plenty of positives to take from Wednesday's crucial win at Stamford Bridge. Saul Niguez had arguably his best game since joining Chelsea on loan from Atletico Madrid last summer. Romelu Lukaku, meanwhile, returned to the starting line-up for the first time since his interview blow-up.
Timo Werner also came off the bench to feature for the first time since starting their win over Leeds United on 11 December. Ruben Loftus-Cheek returned after a brief layoff as well.
Tuchel's side will now take a two-goal advantage into the second leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 12 January.