Conte takes aim at Arteta to spice up Arsenal-Spurs rivalry

Posted May 12, 2022 7:00 am

The Associated Press

LONDON (AP) - Tottenham manager Antonio Conte spiced up his team's fight with Arsenal for a top-four finish in the Premier League by taking aim at counterpart Mikel Arteta.

'œHe complains a lot," Conte said of Arteta after Tottenham's 3-0 win over Arsenal on Thursday. 'œHe has to focus more on his team. He has to focus more on his work. He has to continue to work because he's very good. To hear someone complain all the time is not so good.'ť

Arteta appeared to be unhappy with the referee in the north Lonon derby for sending off center back Rob Holding and awarding a penalty against his full back, Cedric Soares.

Arteta said the match was 'œdestroyed'ť by the decisions.

Conte had another dig later in his post-match news conference, referencing the fact that the derby was postponed at Arsenal's request earlier in the season because of an apparent lack of available players amid the pandemic.

'œHe complained about the fixtures and that was after Arsenal had an unbelievable postponement with just one COVID case," Conte said.

"Now we're playing at 12 p.m. on Sunday (against Burnley) and they don't play until Monday (against Newcastle). We can't always complain.'ť

Arsenal is in fourth place, one point ahead of fifth-place Tottenham with two rounds to go.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Tottenham's head coach Antonio Conte reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, England, Thursday, May 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.