Tottenham boss Antonio Conte involved in heated exchange with Arsenal star as tempers flare in NLD
Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal played an intense north London Derby which saw tensions rise all across the field. Spurs manager Antonio Conte was involved in a shouting match with Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka.
The game saw the Gunners race into a comfortable 2-0 lead in the first half after an own goal from Hugo Lloris and a well-taken strike from Martin Odegaard. With the win, they moved eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
The game turned feisty in the second half after Tottenham's Cristian Romero, who was already on a yellow, jumped into a sliding tackle on Xhaka. He appeared to miss him but the Swiss international fell to the floor clutching his ankle, alerting referee Craig Pawson to the situation.
Conte was not happy with Xhaka's antics, screaming at the midfielder from the sidelines which led to the player exchanging words with the Italian. Conte was also seen making a moving mouth gesture towards the player.
Things got heated between Antonio Conte and Granit Xhaka during the north London derby #THFC #AFC
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Tempers flared more towards the end of the game as Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and Spurs forward Richarlison were seen having a heated exchange.
Moments after the final whistle, a Tottenham fan jumped the advertising hoardings and kicked Ramsdale, which later turned into a scuffle with a number of players from both sides involved. Ramsdale said:
“The Spurs fans were giving me some [stick] throughout the second half, I gave them some back.
“For the few people that I did give it to it was probably well-greeted, sportsmanship-like. Then a fan came over and gave me a punch in the back. That’s what happened. It’s a shame because it’s just a game of football at the end of the day."
Tottenham launch bid for Arsenal centre-back target
Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are set to battle it out for the signature of Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapie. According to the Sun, Spurs have made a £20 million bid. The report adds that the German club are interested in selling the 21-year-old in the January transfer window.
Tottenham were willing to pay €40m (£34.5m) for Piero Hincapie during the summer and remain interested in the Bayer Leverkusen centre-back ahead of the January transfer window 🇪🇨
- BILD
Spurs manager Antonio Conte is reportedly looking for a left-sided centre-back and Hincapie fits the bill. The Gunners have had an interest in the player since December, according to CalcioMercato and consider him an investment for the future.
The report also adds that Tottenham could sign the player this window but loan him back to Leverkusen for the rest of the season.