TOTTENHAM Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has ramped up the pressure on Arsenal ahead of their North London derby clash this evening at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Arsenal are on top of the Premier League standings and would open up an eight-point gap on closest challengers Manchester City with a win over their hostile neighbours.
On their part, Tottenham are seeking to climb above Newcastle United into fourth place and Conte is keen to earn a UEFA Champions League spot.
The Italian won the league with Chelsea in 2016/2017 having led from early in the campaign, and he knows how it is to be a target for the rest, how the tension rises.
After 17 games, his side were nine points clear. Arsenal are five ahead of second-placed Manchester City after that number of matches.
“When you are at the top of the league the perception of your opponents changes totally,” Conte said during his pre-match press conference.
“You are in that moment the best team in the league. For this reason, everybody wants to beat you. For sure, Arsenal has to face this situation [as] favourites to win the league. They have to show they are good to face this type of situation.”
Although City lost a bit of momentum after a dramatic 2-1 defeat in the Manchester derby to United yesterday at Old Trafford, Conte believes the champions are still the biggest threats to Arsenal’s quest for a first league title since 2004.
He noted: “Arsenal are doing very well. Now they have to show they can stay there until the end of the season because I’m sure Manchester City doesn’t agree and will feel the real possibility to win again, especially because Liverpool already lost a lot of points – the same for Chelsea and Manchester United.
“It is a battle between Arsenal and Manchester City.”
