"They have a good advantage" - Tottenham boss Antonio Conte explains why Arsenal are ahead of his team in top four race
Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte feels Arsenal hold an advantage over his side in the race for a top-four finish in the Premier League. Conte believes the presence of Mikel Arteta for a sustained period of time is the reason for the same.
Both north London clubs won their respective league fixtures over the weekend. While Arteta's side picked up a hard-fought 1-0 win against Aston Villa at Villa Park, Spurs beat West Ham United 3-1 at home.
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Speaking after the win, Conte told the media (as quoted by Metro):
"The only way to put pressure on Arsenal is to get three points to win."
He went on to state why he thought the Gunners held an advantage over his side:
"There are nine games to go and for us every game has to be a final and in this moment for sure they have a good advantage, also especially because theyโre working with the same coach for many years and theyโve had many transfer markets with the same coach."
Conte, however, lauded his Spurs side for the way they have performed since he took over the club in November last year. He said:
"Maybe they are in this moment more ready than us but I think in five months we did a fantastic job with these players and now I think that we reduced the gap with many teams in England."
Arsenal hold pole position in race for fourth place
Manchester City and Liverpool are all but certain to finish in the top two spots in the Premier League, though it remains to be seen who will lift the title. Chelsea are a shoe-in for third place and not many expect them to fall below given their quality and current form. The Blues are five points clear of fourth-placed Arsenal.
The Gunners, in turn, are three points clear of Tottenham in fifth, having played a match less than their derby rivals. This makes Arteta's side the favorites for a top-four finish. Their recent form has also been tremendous, with the club picking up six wins in their last seven league matches, losing only to Liverpool.
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However, the London-based club have a number of tricky fixtures to get through before the end of the season. They will still have to visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London Stadium and Stamford Bridge before the end of the season. The Gunners are also yet to host sixth-placed Manchester United at the Emirates.
While the fixture list is complicated, Arsenal will hope to make use of their current advantage to secure UEFA Champions League football for next season.