Antonio Conte praised his side’s commitment even as they fell to defeat to Southampton at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium on Wednesday night.
The Lilywhites led 1-0 and 2-1 in the encounter between the two sides, but were rocked by two goals in two minutes by the Saints that saw them fall to a 3-2 defeat, just their second of Antonio Conte’s Premier League reign in charge of Spurs.
Two goals in two minutes and Southampton have turned this game on its head! ?
Spurs switch off and Che Adams creeps in to land a perfect header ? pic.twitter.com/4P1NmWrJ6c
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 9, 2022
It means that they now sit level with Arsenal in the Premier League table, but without a game in hand on the Gunners, who have a chance to capitalise on Tottenham’s loss as they travel to Wolves on Thursday night.
They remain four points outside the Champions League spots, but have 3 games in hand on West Ham in 4th, and two on Manchester United in 5th.
But, speaking in his post-match press conference, Conte warned that this failure to capitalise on good periods of the game could continue for his side, as a result of the ’emotional’ side of their game.
‘Against Leicester, we won 3-2 and we were losing 2-1. Today we were winning 2-1 and we lost 3-2. I think on this aspect we have to improve because if we want to grow as a team and try to be competitive, the first thing that you have to improve is stability, not to be up and down, up and down, up and down’, the Italian told BT Sport.
I say this before and I continue to repeat. I think that we are improving in many aspects but then we are still too emotional’, he added.
However, Conte praised the attitude of his players despite the result, claiming:
‘I repeat it was a pity because my players they gave 120 per cent today and the effort was maximum. I cannot say that I don’t see the right attitude or the right commitment. I saw the maximum commitment.’
The question remains as to whether commitment alone will be enough to get Tottenham Champions League football next season.
