Few things can be more enjoyable than an outright leathering of the eternal rivals. When Arsenal rocked up to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, trepidation was in the air. Within minutes of kick-off, though, there was clearly nothing to worry about. Spurs tore through the Gunners, leaving them bereft of confidence, a goal down, and a man down within the first period of the game. By half-time, it was two nil and finished. Moments into the second half, a third was scored and, for Spurs, it was job done.
Nothing, a fan would suggest, could make that evening taste sweeter. Arsenal were distraught, chased off the pitch, and now suffering a few major injuries mid-match. However, more enjoyment was to come at the end of the game. Fans who watched at home would have been treated to the petulant, petted lip of Mikel Arteta. The Arsenal coach threw a huffy strop in his post-match interview, claiming he would ‘be suspended’ if he told the truth about what he thought of the penalty and sending off.
Now, ignoring the fact that Rob Holding started to play the wrong sport and could have been off the pitch before he eventually was sent off, Arsenal were meek. The penalty, while contentious, came early enough in the game that a team should be able to recover.
Instead, Arteta and co. resorted to a whining attitude that has been prevalent the minute things go against them. And in true Antonio Conte fashion, the Italian slapped down the whinging from his Arsenal counterpart in the most wonderful way.
What did Antonio Conte say about Mikel Arteta’s comments?
After the game, Arteta went what can only be described as ‘Full Mourinho’, with a moody interview that was filled with half-answers and moaning. When it was put to Conte that Arteta had made it out as if the game was anything other than a one-sided derby beating, he bit back at the Spaniard. Conte has a rather acerbic way with words when he has to, and he did not miss Arteta.
Arteta had went on a minor tirade, saying: “If I say what I think, I am suspended for six months so I cannot say it. I’m allowed to give my interpretation of what happened in the game, but I don’t know how to lie and I don’t like lying, so I prefer not to say what I think.
“The referee needs to come in front of the camera and explain his decisions. It’s a shame because such a beautiful game was destroyed today.”
Conte, though, was having absolutely none of it.
In his own response, Conte said: “I (hear) him complain a lot.
“Yeah. I think that, he has to be focused more, (on) his team, and not to complain and to… because he has just started this work (his managerial career), and I think that, he has to (be) calm and to try to continue to work, because he is very good. But to (hear) a coach complain a lot of the time is not good.”
For Spurs fans, growing to love Antonio Conte was easy. A derby mauling and a dismissive response to the Arsenal coach in the aftermath? Perfection.
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