What does Conte’s arrival at Spurs mean for Arsenal’s top four chances?
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 2 Nov 2021 17:06 GMT
- 5 min read
Tottenham Hotspur have finally made a statement signing.
It comes in the form of a manager, not a player, and his name is, of course, Antonio Conte.
Not since Mauricio Pochettino left the club have Spurs looked like challenging for anything, but with the addition of a serial winner in Conte, they've seriously upped their game.
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The fact that Tanguy Ndombele at just over £50 million is Tottenham's record signing, compared to the £97.5m Chelsea spent on Lukaku, or the £100m Manchester City forked out for Jack Grealish, shows how much the club is in need of investment.
Daniel Levy, however, isn't keen on splashing the cash like other clubs in the Premier League, so to attract Conte is a real coup.
The Italian simply knows how to win, and he is able to get exceptional performances out of mediocre players; think Emanuele Giaccherini during his time as national team head coach, or Victor Moses at Chelsea - Conte doesn't need the very best players to get the very best results.
So, in that sense, Tottenham's financial situation isn't so much of a concern. Reinforcements are still needed if Spurs want to challenge for the title under Conte, but he's the ideal manager to guide them back into the Champions League this season - a feat that already looked extremely unlikely under Nuno Espirito Santo, and before Conte was appointed.
However, with Conte's tactical prowess, Spurs should start picking up wins immediately, and a push for a place in the top four will certainly happen.
Top three almost secured
So early on in the season it's perhaps too soon to say that Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool will definitely finish as the top three, but it seems a formality right now.
Those three sides are the class of the league right now, and the title fight appears to have been narrowed down to just them already; that's unless West Ham can keep up their surreal run of form - which is unlikely.
So, it seems that the top three is almost wrapped up, meaning there's just one Champions League spot for the rest of the league to fight over.
With the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal, as well as Spurs, aiming for that fourth place, or above, it will be a fight between several teams to see who will prevail. Conte's arrival certainly places Tottenham right in the mix, and perhaps even the most likely to be playing in the elite European competition next year.
Conte's prowess in league competitions
In Pep Guardiola, Thomas Tuchel, and Jurgen Klopp, the three teams at the top of the Premier League have the best crop of managers in the world, but Conte is right there alongside them.
Those four are the best coaches in the world, and the rest of the league, or even Europe, can't really compete.
While the three others have all won the Champions League, Conte never has; in fact, he's never really come close.
His style of football relies on clear patterns of play, which need to be worked upon religiously. That's why when he arrived at Chelsea he was so successful; the Blues didn't have European football, so he had the whole week to work on his system for the next league game. It led to Chelsea winning the league in his first year, and at Inter there was a similar failure in Europe, but success domestically.
His lack of competence in Europe is certainly a problem, and Spurs won't be able to compete well in the Champions League should they make the top four, but Conte is an expert in the league, and he prioritises that.
Unlike Mikel Arteta and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, two of Conte's rivals for a spot in the top four, the Italian is a tactical genius, and his team's ability to get a winning streak going is almost unmatched. One-off games in Europe may not go his way, but over the course of a season, Conte is perhaps the best in the business.
Bad news for Arsenal
Conte's appointment is simply bad news for Arsenal. The Gunners and the Lilywhites have both taken step backwards over the past few years, and are starting to rebuild.
Arsenal, in particular, have looked to youth, and the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe have emerged from the shadows and are the shining lights in Arteta's side right now.
With the red side of North London finally finding form, Arsenal fans were beginning to feel hopeful of their chances of finishing in the top four, especially given Man Utd's shaky form under Solskjaer, and Spurs' under Nuno.
However, with Conte arriving at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Arsenal's top four hopes have diminished significantly.
Not only do Tottenham have a slightly better squad, but they've now added a vastly superior manager as well.
Conte will get the best out of Heung-Min Son, while the defence will be solidified by his wing-back system.
Even former Arsenal and Chelsea magician Cesc Fabregas acknowledged the coup Spurs had pulled off by appointing Conte. He Tweeted: "I hate to say it but what an appointment by Spurs."
I hate to say it but what an appointment by Spurs.
— Cesc Fàbregas Soler (@cesc4official) November 2, 2021
Arsenal may have a talented and rejuvenated squad, but Conte makes up the difference - he really is that good.
Unfortunately for the Gunners, Conte's arrival seriously puts a spanner in the works of their top four hopes, and it's very likely that Champions League football will be absent from the Emirates for a little while longer.
