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Tag: Antonio Conte

  • Watford score three late goals to beat 10-man Chelsea

    Watford score three late goals to beat 10-man Chelsea

    Watford scored three late goals to win Javi Gracia’s first home game in charge in an “unforgettable night” for their manager and increase the pressure on Chelsea counterpart Antonio Conte.

    The Blues played an hour with 10 men after Tiemoue Bakayoko’s red card capped off a dreadful individual 30-minute performance – in which he gifted Watford four chances.

    The Hornets – who had only won one of their previous 12 Premier League games – led controversially as Gerard Deulofeu went down easily under keeper Thibaut Courtois’ challenge and Troy Deeney scored the penalty.

    Chelsea, who brought on Olivier Giroud for a debut in the second half, scored an undeserved equaliser when Eden Hazard curled home brilliantly from 25 yards.

    But two minutes later, Daryl Janmaat scored a fantastic goal of his own when he cut in from the right wing, played a one-two with Roberto Pereyra and beat another couple of defenders before scoring with his weaker left foot.

    Deulofeu added another when he ran from halfway before his shot was deflected home by Gary Cahill – and then Pereyra scored a fourth from Abdoulaye Doucoure’s through ball.

    The Hornets are now six points above the relegation zone.

    Gracia, who replaced Marco Silva last month, told BBC Sport: “It was a great victory and a great match. I am very proud of my players today.

    “We played a good match, pressed high. The match changed after the sending off but I think we played very well. Chelsea are a very big club, a big team.”

    It was Chelsea’s second consecutive defeat by three goals in the Premier League, following their 3-0 home reverse by Bournemouth.

  • Chelsea Boss, Conte insist on staying at the club till 2019

    Chelsea boss, Antonio Conte has insisted that he will see out his contract at Chelsea amid claims he is set to return to take the Italy manager’s job.
    The Italian says that he embraces his current situation as he thrives under “pressure” situations

    Reports have suggested the former Juventus coach is unhappy at Stamford Bridge and could leave at the end of the season if not before.

    But Conte claims not only will he be staying until the end of the current campaign but will remain in charge for the 2018-19 season.

    “I still have 18 months on my contract with Chelsea. My desire is to respect this contract,” he told reporters.

    “I don’t see any problems with this. I don’t know why there’s speculation about my future. I signed for three years and my will is to to respect the contract.

    “As you know very well, I trust my work and this is the only thing that I trust, my work. This is how I became one of the best coaches or managers.”

    Conte added that he enjoys the scrutiny that both he and the team are under currently.

    “I like this type of situation. If I see there is no pressure, it is not for me or for the players – you lose your fire,” he explained.

    “I don’t understand why it is only around me. Maybe because this is Chelsea. Pressure is life, if I had no pressure I wouldn’t like it.

    “The speculation doesn’t affect me. The situation has been always the same, with a lot of pressure around me.”

  • Big knock on Conte as Bournemouth run riot on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

    Big knock on Conte as Bournemouth run riot on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

    Chelsea paraded their new signing, Olivier Giroud but the blues defender were the problem for Antonio Conte as his champions fall to defeat against Bournemouth in a 0-3 thriller.

    Conte’s team lacked threat in attack, neatly illustrating the manager’s desire for more options up front, and were uncharacteristically awful in defence after Andreas Christensen was forced off injured.

    Bournemouth took advantage with three goals in a blistering 16-minute spell at the start of the second-half.

    Callum Wilson fired in the first goal, Junior Stanislas scored the second and former Chelsea defender Nathan Ake pounced to make it three.

    For Giroud it must have felt a lot like it did before his £18million move from Arsenal sitting in the stands, watching his team pounded.

    Just 24 hours earlier, Giroud was at Swansea as Arsene Wenger’s team conceded three goals and it is little more than a fortnight since Bournemouth embarrassed the Gunners.

    Bournemouth is at it again, disturbing a prestigious reputation and damaging top-four ambitions for the big six in the Premier League.

    Any hopes of Chelsea defending the title may be long gone but they may have a fight on their hands to protect their Champions League status.

  • Kenneth Omeruo, Ola Aina won’t be recalled this Season-Conte

    Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has indicated that Nigerian internationals Kenneth Omeruo and Ola Aina will not be recalled from their loan clubs in the January transfer window.

    The Blues currently have no less than five players of Nigerian descent out on loan, with Omeruo and Aina (who are at Kasimpasa and Hull City respectively) joined by Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori and Ike Ugbo.

    Aside from Ugbo at Barnsley, the players have all enjoyed regular playing time at their loan clubs and Conte believes they are better left to develop their games rather than being recalled.

    “I don’t think this could be realistic. The players we send on loan are playing,” said Conte in Tuesday’s press conference, attended by Football.London.

    “I don’t see a possibility for players to come back on loan. I remember last January with [Nathan] Ake, Kenedy and [Charly] Musonda coming back to improve our squad.”

    Chelsea are set to face Arsenal in a heavyweight Premier League battle at the Emirates Stadium tonight.

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  • Antonio Conte plans to stick with rotation policy ahead of Arsenal clash

    Antonio Conte says he will continue his policy of rotating the Chelsea team ahead of facing Arsenal in the first of three meetings against their London rivals in January.

    Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas were both left on the bench for the Premier League defending champions’ resounding 5-0 victory over Stoke last Saturday with Danny Drinkwater and Willian given the chance to impress.

    “When you play against Arsenal every game is very important,” Conte said in his pre-match press conference.

    “Now Wednesday’s game is very important for the league.

    “We want to try to do our best. We want to try to get three points, to give satisfaction to our fans.”

    Conte’s Chelsea face a busy January which includes a two-legged semi-final against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup.

    “In my plan, it’s very important to involve all my players,” Conte added.

    Eden Hazard is set to return to the Chelsea line-up against Arsenal on Wednesday after missing the Stoke victory

    “I think we are doing a really good job in this situation. We are making many rotations, but at the same time our results are positive.

    “It means all my players are working very well.”

  • Conte disclose, Chelsea are going for every trophy ahead of Roma game

    Chelsea boss Antonio Conte says the club are going for the lot this season.

     

    Conte insists there’s no chance of him favouring one competition over another.

     

    Chelsea are in Italy tonight for the Champions League clash with Roma.

     

    “Our group is a tough group with Atletico Madrid and Roma, two really group teams. To stay at the top of this group is really important,” said Conte.

     

    “We are trying to face all competitions this season. We went through to the next round of the Carabao Cup, we won the last two games in the Premier League.

     

    “Roma are in a good moment of form. It’s important for us to overcome this difficult period. We are recovering important players. You know how important it is for me to have all the players available.”

     

     

  • I’m now enjoying my football under manager Conte, Moses says

    Chelsea’s Nigeria forward Victor Moses on Thursday praised club manager Antonio Conte for resurrecting his career and giving him the “confidence to enjoy his football’’.

    The 26-year-old Moses joined the Blues from Wigan for nine million pounds in 2012 but was loaned out to Liverpool, Stoke and West Ham by former club manager Jose Mourinho.

    But he played 34 times this term in the role of wing-back as Chelsea claimed the English Premier League title with a record 30 wins.

    “I am more focused now than ever. I am enjoying my football again,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria international played 43 games in his first season with the Blues, scoring 10 goals on the way.

    He was part of the 2013 Europa League-winning squad under interim manager Rafael Benitez.

    But the forward failed to play under Mourinho in the Portuguese manager’s second spell at Stamford Bridge, being given temporary moves to three top-flight clubs.

    This season, he was handed a new defensive role as he rejuvenated his Chelsea career, playing an integral role in Italian boss Conte’s first season in charge.

    “We have got a new manager here who is willing to give everyone an opportunity,’’ said Moses.

    “He gave me that opportunity and I didn’t look back after that.

    “I am very pleased with that and I just want to keep improving in every game I play. It is a new role for me and I am still getting used to it,’’ Moses said.

    NAN reports that he could add an FA Cup winners’ medal on Saturday when Chelsea take on London rivals Arsenal in the final match at Wembley.

    “That would be a great achievement for me. We don’t feel any pressure, we are just taking this game as it comes.

    “We have got the league title and they are going to want to win because they missed out on top four. We are going to try and stop them because we want the Double.’’(NAN)

  • Chelsea boss Conte, set EPL record, wins manager of the month

    Antonio Conte has become the first manager in Premier League history to be awarded the Manager of the Month award three times in a row.

    The Chelsea boss oversaw victory in each of his side’s six games in the final month of 2016, with Manchester City, West Brom, Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Stoke all beaten by Chelsea.
    The award for December comes on the back of previous successes in November and October, with a winning streak of 13 consecutive league wins for Conte and his team.

    The three prizes puts Conte in the record books and also see him draw level with Jose Mourinho, The Italian has collected his award in just five months.

  • Conte hails Blues, dismisses deduction reports

    Conte hails Blues, dismisses deduction reports

    Antonio Conte has reacted with disbelief to reports Chelsea could face a points deduction in the wake of angry scenes at Manchester City last week.

    Players from both teams were involved in a melee after a challenge by City’s Sergio Aguero on David Luiz.

    Aguero was sent off and Fernandinho also red-carded after he then clashed with Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas.

    Both clubs have since been charged with the Football Association with failing to control their players – the fifth time in 19 months Chelsea have been hit with such a charge.

    Asked after his team’s 1-0 win against West Brom about reports his side could have points deducted, Conte said: “Are you joking?

    “If you are involved in a situation that is not your fault and you must pay, why? I don’t understand this.

    “You must be honest to understand when there is fault with both teams or one.

    “You can see very clearly that my players were trying to keep the calm.”

    On a much brighter note for Chelsea, Diego Costa’s 76th-minute goal gave them a ninth consecutive league win and took them back to the top of the table.

    West Brom defended superbly before Costa nudged Gareth McAuley off the ball and then fired into the top corner.

    “It was a very difficult game but we knew this,” Conte said.

    “I spoke a lot this week about this game because we faced a team that is very tough and very difficult to break down.

    “I’m pleased because we showed great maturity and great intention to find the right solution to win.

    “It wasn’t easy, but the players showed me great character, great attention and great motivation to try to win the game.”