What Antonio Conte learned in his first match in charge of Tottenham
By Gary Pearson
Tottenham made a dream start in Antonio Conte‘s first match in charge and staved off a late Vitesse charge to pick up an important 3-2 win.
The Good: Tottenham’s explosive opening 30 minutes
The gaffer, as lively as ever on the sideline, would have been elated with the way his team acquitted themselves from kickoff. Pinging the ball forward with tempo and purpose, Spurs adapted seamlessly to the way Conte wants his team to play. Dominant and on the front foot, Spurs could have been up by four or five after just 28 minutes. Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura and Harry Kane were rampant, carving through Vitesse like a sharp knife through medium rare prime rib.
As intended, Emerson Royal and Sergio Reguilon were heavily involved. Both pushed forward readily, supporting the dynamic front three. Royal and Reguilon knocked dangerous crosses in and the Spaniard even had a near miss at the back post. Exciting, pulsating and unrelenting, it was quintessential Conte football.
Kane, Son and Moura were active out of possession, closing space quickly and pressing the Vitesse backline.
Son scored, hit the post on an exquisite piece of skill and also had a shot cleared off the line. Moura also got in on the act, sliding home confidently to put Spurs up by two after just 22 minutes. Six minutes later, the England captain harassed Jacob Rasmussen, forcing the Vitesse centre back to knock the final touch into his own goal. It was a showcase for how explosive Spurs’ front three can be.