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Alasdair Gold

The Tottenham player who helped Emerson Royal turn around his season and Daniel Levy's pay rise

What a difference a year makes

Last season Antonio Conte made a big deal about pointing out the huge chasm between Tottenham and Chelsea and how much of a "monster" his old club were.

Spurs played the Blues four times and struggled to even lay a glove on them. It was in keeping with a record that before this Sunday had seen the north London side win only seven times in 62 attempts against their rivals from across the capital.

Fast forward roughly a year and more than half a billion pounds' worth of transfer spending later by the Blues and Conte's old team find themselves 14 points behind his current one.

READ MORE: Tottenham player ratings vs Chelsea: Romero and Skipp dazzle, Kane scores and Dier impresses

Sunday's victory against Chelsea was so comfortable for Tottenham that the visitors could have played for another 90 minutes and would have still struggled to find a way through to goal.

That was not how the script was meant to be written. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was yet to witness a Spurs goal against Chelsea in the Premier League since it opened, so it was fitting that a rocket of a strike would end up breaking that duck.

It was a day for academy players as Oliver Skipp smashed his first goal for the club from 20 yards past Kepa, who could only palm it on to his crossbar and in as Spurs attacked straight from the second half kick-off. The 22-year-old became the 160th different player to score for Tottenham in the Premier League.

Then another of the club's homegrown products - the most successful of them all - Harry Kane, sealed the deal with a close range finish as Chelsea bewilderingly left the most dangerous player on the pitch unmarked from a corner as Raheem Sterling let him drift into space.

That meant that not only was this a victory made in Tottenham - and technically Norwich - but Kane has also now scored 20 goals or more in nine successive seasons across all competitions. Only he and Robert Lewandowski have achieved that in Europe's major leagues.

It is the first time Spurs have taken four points off Chelsea in a league season since the 2008/09 campaign and it's the first time since 2015/16 that they have avoided defeat during a single season against the Blues.

Once again Cristian Stellini found himself front and centre of another important victory for Spurs, who find themselves with more points than they had at this stage last season while in the Champions League last 16 and FA Cup fifth round.

Stellini admitted on Friday that he always had the dream to be a manager but he quickly shot that down 48 hours or so later when asked whether this latest derby win - taking his record to seven wins from seven matches when standing in for Conte - had given him more confidence in being the main man one day.

"No, it gives me belief about the team. So that is the most important thing," he said. "I feel that the team follow the process Antonio create and they take more responsibility without Antonio. This is what I believe in.

"It is like a teenager that has to become mature. The team react in this way and they take a lot of responsibility. Everyone, players that play and players that are sometimes not playing. This is why I am glad to stay here and to keep the chair of Antonio warm."

He added: "Antonio called immediately, straight after the game. He was really happy because he has suffered a lot, but now is week Antonio is back so we are happy for the win, we are happy for that and we have to give many compliments to the players because they played a great match."

The victory came despite a bizarre VAR situation which seemed to bring a red card for Hakim Ziyech after a video review only for referee Stuart Attwell to then be advised to look at his pitch-side monitor and he downgraded it to a yellow card.

It was a swipe at Emerson Royal, who had barged the Chelsea man in the back. Ziyech's pushed out hand struck the Brazilian's shoulder on the way to his face and it was difficult to tell whether it was a messed up push or a bodged slap.

"Immediately when it happened, for me it was clear the referee needed to give him a red card but the referee was so good to explain immediately and the fourth official as well what happened on the pitch and why they needed time to take the right decision," said Stellini.

"They needed time because they first needed to understand who was the player. VAR helped find out who was the player who pushed Emerson. Also for the referee, it was a red card. Then VAR calls him back again to say to check if it was violent or not and the referee went to the screen to check this and he decided it was not violent.

"I have not seen it. For me it is fine what the referee decided because he went to the screen. Many times we discuss the referee not using the screen and the VAR is not involved. We are not lucky because every time the VAR is involved, it is against us and not in our favour but this is only about lucky, not about what happened on the pitch. I am happy because the referee was good to explain us and keep everyone calm."

Thankfully this was a game in which Spurs did not need VAR or any luck to help them overcome Chelsea. They could have done more in attack but the result never really looked in doubt.

The man labelled Spurs' future Skipp-er

There's a photo doing the rounds of Oliver Skipp as a very serious-looking six-year-old wearing that season's full Spurs Puma home kit, about to take to the pitches of Hertfordshire.

Sixteen years on and that frown was replaced by a wide grin as he sprinted across to the south west corner of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, punching the air as he leapt in front of 61,613 fans, the bulk of them rising and roaring in delight at him.

They remained on their feet to sing his chant, to the tune of KC and the Sunshine Band's Give It Up, as they did again after the final whistle when he walked over to the huge south stand to thank them for their support and they did so long after the match in the glass atrium behind the stand.

It was the realisation of a dream for that little boy who supported Spurs all those years ago and was now a man scoring in front of them.

For the 22-year-old midfielder had capped 12 big days in his career by scoring a rocket of a goal that was his first for Tottenham at senior level and the first goal any Spurs player had scored against Chelsea in the Premier League since the ground opened four years ago.

It would prove to be the decisive goal, even if Kane did add another late on, and the sheer delight of Skipp's team-mates matched his own. They knew just how much this strike meant to the shy, hard-working young midfielder and how he would have dreamt of this moment.

It was also yet more proof, if any more was needed, that Skipp is more than able to play at this level. He just needed to get fit and sharp again after a tough 2022 that brought two freak injuries.

He's so shy at times and still so respectful of his senior team-mates that when doing interviews he calls some of them by their surnames, as a fan would. Yet on the pitch, he backs down to nobody.

Sunday showcased exactly what a sharper Skipp can do and he terrorised Chelsea from the opening moments to the last with his all-action display and was duly named as the broadcaster's man of the match. He even ended the game with a crunching tackle in a 50-50 that the Blues' £107m man Enzo Fernandez had no chance in.

Skipp had 48 touches of the ball, played seven passes in the final third, won possession of the ball five times, won four duels, made three crunching tackles, intercepted the ball three times and had that one powerful shot which Kepa could only palm on to the crossbar and in.

"It was top quality wasn't it?" said Kane, who called it a moment his fellow Spurs academy product would never forget. "It was as good as you can hit them really. Like Skippy said, we work a lot in training on edge of the box finishing from second balls. He's been working hard so it's nice to see it pay off."

"It was brilliant," added Spurs keeper Fraser Forster after the game. "It was a fantastic hit and everyone's absolutely delighted for him. Everyone knows how hard he works and what a good professional he is.

"To score your first goal in that manner, it's just fantastic and everyone's absolutely buzzing for him.

"It's always tough after you've had a bad injury. It always take a bit of time to come back from that and at a club like this you've got so much competition for places and fantastic players around you.

"So he's had to be patient but whenever he's been called upon he's been fantastic and with this run in the team he's showing exactly what he can do and producing fantastic performances."

Skipp was still struggling to take it all in afterwards.

"It feels amazing. It's hard to describe really. Coming through the academy and then to score your first goal and to score against Chelsea like that, it makes it a bit special," he said before modestly talking through the goal.

"We've been doing quite a bit of work in terms of second balls from the edge of the box and it just came to me and it was bouncing up nicely. I cut across it quite a bit, it wasn't necessarily the cleanest strike but fortunately it went in."

On the feeling he got as he sprinted towards the corner to celebrate, he added: "It was incredible. I saw Kepa get a hand to it and I'm just waiting to see whether he was going to push it over the bar but it does in off the bar.

"I then got crowded out [by team-mates]. I was walking back, thinking literally everyone was coming over to me. It was such an amazing feeling."

Skipp has had to bide his time with the numbers in the Spurs midfield and football.london understands he was open to a temporary short loan move in January before the injuries to Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma to get himself back to full sharpness. Conte wanted to keep him and that now looks like a brilliant decision.

"It's nice [to step up] because obviously the first half of the season didn't perhaps go as I wanted it from an individual point of view," admitted the young midfielder. "Then obviously we've had a couple of really serious injuries and I hope they're back as soon as possible, but it was only really up to me, Pape and Hojbjerg.

"There's only three fit central midfielders to step up and I feel that now I've had a run in the team, I really feel comfortable and able to put in performances like that and hopefully there's more to come."

On the feeling of beating Chelsea as a Spurs fan himself, he said: "It's nice particularly as results in this fixture haven't necessarily always gone the way we expected them to.

"It's nice that we can give the fans something back and put in a performance like that. Everyone was up for it. It's a team we know, it's a London derby against big rivals of ours. It makes it that little bit more special."

Stellini was full of praise for the midfielder in getting himself back to where he was before his pelvic injury and then the freak deep cut to his heel in pre-season.

"Since we arrived here, Skippy surprised us in that moment [with how good he was in Conte's early months]," he admitted. "In January last season we lost Skippy for a long time, the rest of the season and when he started this season he was not fit very well but he worked hard.

"He is a great guy who work 100 per cent every day. He needed time and the opportunity. When he had the opportunity, he showed to everyone the way and the confidence he has in himself. This confidence came from the work he does every day."

He added: "It was a great goal, and this type of goal is an important goal for us, because it came from a midfielder, and when you start to play well with the ball and control the game, it’s important a midfielder arrives there. Skippy is not usually one to do this, but he trained very well and this moment is important for him. He deserves this type of goal.

"This is an example for all the academy players that are now working with a dream to try to arrive here. The players who score today are important to show to everyone that if you work well, if you work hard, if you believe in the club and in yourself, you can arrive to reach this target. It is not easy but you have to improve yourself and need to look at the type of players like Skippy."

Jose Mourinho once declared that Skipp would become a future Tottenham captain and it's a feeling shared by many within the club.

Sometimes through others' difficult moments, the toughest players overcome their own tough times to take their chance to shine.

That's what lies ahead for Skipp as well as Pape Matar Sarr as they will now partner Hojbjerg for much of the remainder of the season if they can remain fit themselves.

At the moment, Skipp has the shirt and he's looking to keep hold of it. If you ask he'll say he's had it since he was a six-year-old child so why should he let it go now.

Cristian Romero frustrated Kai Havertz throughout in Tottenham's 2-0 win over Chelsea (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Defending as a unit

Skipp's performance in front of the defence was crucial in taking some of the pressure off of them, as was the work rate of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, but the back three deserve plenty of credit of their own for blunting Chelsea's attack.

Cristian Romero has been back to his best in the past week. Derby matches suit his style of play down to the ground. It's like a free pass to kick and wind up the opponents that little bit more because the referee lets more go in the heat of a derby.

Stellini told football.london on Friday that he and the coaching staff had been working specifically with Romero on the timing of his tackles after yellow cards galore in previous games.

"I spoke about this [with you] after the match when Romero concede a yellow card. It is about the timing and the decision he takes when he decides to tackle or not," he said. "It is important the timing but in his mind he has to find the timing.

"We work for sure in training and in training he needs to feel the same. When is the time to go, when is the time to wait and when is the time to respect the opponent and when is the time to tackle so we work on this aspect."

Kai Havertz probably wasn't feeling the respect from the Argentine when he nutmegged the German in front of the south stand in the first half, but this was another game without a booking for Romero and he was near flawless against plenty of Chelsea players who could have given him problems with their tricky, fast feet.

Romero made five tackles during the game, two clearances and blocked one shot, while winning two aerial duels in a dominant performance on the right of the back three.

He was superb, but he was not alone. Eric Dier, often much maligned when he makes a mistake, was also near perfect alongside him.

The key for the 29-year-old is to just keep it simple. When he has, in the words of Han Solo, delusions of grandeur, Dier ends up trying to do too much, covering for everyone else while also aiming to be a quarterback in the side.

That's when he makes mistakes and he's caught out of position. When he trusts that his team-mates are in the right positions and he concentrates on his own game, Dier is a very effective defender.

His recent performances have highlighted that again and on Sunday he made six clearances, more than anyone else on the pitch, won three aerial duels and blocked one shot and only had to make one tackle.

Dier also weighed in with an assist, heading Son's corner on to Kane to fire home his 268th goal for Spurs. Chelsea might have complained more about Dier leaning down on Mason Mount but the midfielder was equally backing into him as he jumped.

On the left of the back three, Clement Lenglet made two tackles and one interception in a performance that saw him link up well with Ben Davies.

Stellini told football.london after the game that the rise in clean sheets - eight in the 12 games played in 2023 - is because of work in training as a unit.

"It is more about unit work and work and helping each other. More than defensive situations, it's about this," he said. "It is about transition and how quick you are to recover position. Sometimes like today from the start it is about to cover the space quickly, slide and break the line together. Working together, it's more about this."

Spurs have also benefited from Fraser Forster getting sharper and sharper with each passing game after he came in for the injury Hugo Lloris.

The 34-year-old made an early comfortable catch from Joao Felix before pulling off a flying save to deny Raheem Sterling in the first half although the flag later went up for the offside Havertz blocking his view.

Forster then dived quickly and bravely at the feet of Havertz to make an important save midway through the second half. He didn't have much to do but what the former England goalkeeper did, he did very well and showing speed off his line dispelled one fear about the huge 6ft 7ins keeper.

"I'm loving it," he admitted after the game. "You've got to be patient when you're not playing but the chance has come along and obviously it's nice to be playing. It's fantastic. If you're not enjoying beating Chelsea at home then something's wrong.

"It's just brilliant to be playing. It takes a bit of time to get up and running and you're playing with players that you've not actually played a lot with so it's about building those relationships and getting used to playing for Tottenham, but it's fantastic and I'm loving playing."

On keeping another clean sheet, he added: "We discussed it a lot. Keeping a clean sheet is so important. We know that if we're defensively strong and compact, then with the attacking threat we have in our team, we're going to cause teams problems.

"So if you're keeping clean sheets and limiting the opposition then it's a great thing to build on and we've been showing that in the last couple of games."

"Obviously Chelsea are a fantastic team. They having a bit of a tough spell but they've got quality all over the pitch and every game is very hard. Anyone can beat anyone so it's just important that we work hard, regardless of who the team is we're playing at the weekend.

"It just gives everyone a lift, it improves confidence and that's what we need ahead of this run of games we've got."

Those in the centre of the defence and the man behind did what was asked of them and they're finding their organisation and confidence just when Spurs need them the most.

Ben Davies caught the eye with his attacking runs in Tottenham's 2-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday afternoon (Richard Sellers/Getty Images)

Differing wing-backs

You will not find Emerson Royal or Ben Davies listed as examples alongside the football dictionary definition of an archetypal Antonio Conte wing-back.

Yet here they are, hopefully quoting Paul Rudd and Sean Evans' heavily memed conversation: "Hey, look at us." "Who would have thought?" "Not me."

For Emerson is playing the best football of his career and is keeping the £40m Pedro Porro on the bench, while Davies reached his 300th appearance for Spurs on Sunday, while keeping a natural Conte wing-back in Ivan Perisic out of the team.

Neither Emerson nor Davies ticks all the boxes of a Conte wing-back. The 29-year-old Davies does try to get forward and slings in a cross when he can, but it's not his strength. Emerson gets to a certain point on the pitch and then desperately looks around with a panicked face for Kulusevski or Kane to take the ball off him.

That the two combined for a goal against West Ham last weekend was as unexpected as it was wonderful.

Yet at the back, they're providing the defensive performances that are helping shut out the opposition and they're also providing other uses in tucking inside in the midfield, Emerson especially. You will struggle to find two harder-working players in the squad.

On Sunday, Davies managed five clearances, two tackles and two interceptions while winning four aerial duels, more than anyone else on the pitch. The Welshman's critics will never truly understand the consistency and work rate that he brings season after season and in plenty of big matches as others flounder around him.

Emerson's stats saw him make more tackles than anyone else with seven to his name, he won possession nine times, won 13 duels and three more in the air, as well completing three clearances and he made four touches in the opposition box.

He also tucked inside to help Skipp and Hojbjerg out frequently, leading the former to say after the game: "I think Emerson, especially the last few games, he's really started to appear in those pockets and it's really nice with Kulusevski pulling out wide and he can cut inside. You know that Harry has that ability when he gets on the half-turn that he can spray passes about, so he's incredible at that."

Emerson's confidence has grown and grown and three months on from having his substitutions off the pitch cheered and jeered the 24-year-old has become a cult hero with his tackles bringing a roar from the same crowd. One inch-perfect challenge on Ben Chilwell early in the game set the tone.

The matchday programme for the Chelsea match bore his image on the front and an interview in which he spoke about his turnaround in fortunes.

"I've always worked hard on my game throughout my time here. I know that, at times, it has been hard, it has been difficult, but I never lost focus on my football," he said. "I always tried to do what I always did to get here in the first place. Now, thanks to God, better things are coming my way and that has been the case in recent matches.

"I think that you can see when a player is confident, he shows on the pitch. Things come easier and work better.

"And I have always been myself - the same player. Some people say that 'it's a different Emerson' but, the truth is I've always been the same player, the same Emerson, the one who played for the Brazil national team, Real Betis and Barcelona. Now I find myself in the team, playing well and I hope that it continues for a long time."

The Brazilian is a likeable and infectiously happy person and he's become one of the most popular members of Conte's squad. He admits though that his turning point came first away at the Etihad Stadium and then with his man of the match home display against Manchester City with his running battle with the £100m man Jack Grealish.

"Yes, definitely [it was a turning point]," he said with a big grin. "It was a huge game at home in front of our fans just after we played at their place - where I scored - but unfortunately we lost.

"I'd say, after that away match, something clicked for me, and people started to speak positively about me again. You could see that at home, the team had the support from the fans, and they showed their confidence - in me."

Emerson has found his happy place at Tottenham and with his Brazilian team-mates Lucas Moura and Richarlison. They play FIFA together constantly, hang out at each other's homes and even play in a band together, while a certain Argentinean has helped Emerson on and off the pitch and while kicking his backside in celebrations.

"[Lucas and Richarlison are] both incredible players - two of the best. It is a great pleasure to share the pitch with them," he said. "Richarlison has only just got here but he already has a very important role to play. Here Lucas is a very experienced player, and he helps us a lot.

"Richarlison and I are quite similar in the sense that we're both young at heart, he is a young player, and we get on well together. The same with Lucas, but he is more of a father for me and Richarlison. During the times that us two get annoyed, Lucas is the one to calm us down."

He added: "Given that mix, I'd say that both have played a very important role in helping me get to the level I'm currently at.

"[Cristian] Romero too. He has helped me a lot on and off the pitch. He is a great guy. It's an honour to play with them all."

It's been a perfect fortnight for Emerson with his displays on the pitch allied to good news off it as he has got engaged to his girlfriend and is set to become a father for the first time, with his partner expecting a little boy.

Spurs fans also got to see a bright little cameo from Porro on his home debut with some good runs in an attacking role in front of Emerson which would have done his confidence some good after that tough start at Leicester.

Conte has four very different options now at wing-back while he awaits the return of Ryan Sessegnon from his latest injury. All four offer varying strengths and weaknesses and the Italian will able to tailor them to the different games and situations ahead.

Levy's pay rise and unpredictable times

There's rarely a normal day at Tottenham Hotspur or one that simply goes as expected, unless you expect the unexpected. Even right now, Spurs have somehow managed to find consistency in the most turbulent of times.

They have won four of their past five Premier League matches and now sit firmly in fourth place, four points above Newcastle who have two games in hand but travel to Manchester City next weekend. The north London side are 14 points clear of Chelsea and nine above Liverpool, who have two games in hand.

It's all been done with a head coach currently situated 778 miles away in Italy, recovering in his Turin home after coming back too quickly from emergency surgery to remove his gallbladder.

Even the future is unclear at Spurs and next year could feasibly see the north London club with a new managing director of football, a new manager at the helm and perhaps even a new captain.

On top of that there's a constantly under fire chairman in Daniel Levy, who the recently-released full 52 page financial results stated had received a salary of £3,265,000 in the past financial year compared to his one of £2,698,000 in 2021. That's a £567,000 pay rise.

The club might argue that came last year after a season in which Spurs got back into the Champions League in fourth place and the stadium that Levy drove the construction of started churning out the money it was meant to after a full season with crowds at games and events.

However, it's the look of it and how it will appear to fans who will only see a failure to truly succeed on the pitch rewarded. Throw in on top of that talk of takeovers or major investment and it's a cycle of never-ending chaos.

So somehow amid all of that and the somehow constant state of flux, Spurs are starting to find their feet and huge credit has to go to Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason for holding it all together in Conte's absence.

With three wins from four Premier League matches this month alone without the head coach, could we see an assistant manager being nominated for the manager of the month award?

Spurs find themselves three points ahead of where they were last season after 25 matches in the Premier League and they've scored 11 goals more, albeit having conceded three more as well.

Conte wrote on Instagram while recovering in Italy: "Come on you Spurs and congratulations to my entire staff."

His staff and players have responded to the challenge of working without him and Conte, a man who loves pressure, will be fully aware that if he returns and Spurs lose matches then all eyes are going to be on him regardless of how much Stellini said they were following his orders while he was away.

One member of the Brazilian media at the game is quoted as saying Richarlison joked afterwards with a mischievous smile that "Cristian, it has worked with him in charge, now the pressure is on Conte!" before adding quickly "Yes but all the work is Conte…he talks to Cristian and gives us the work."

For Conte has been as fully involved as one can from his base in southern Europe. He has been sent videos of every training session at Hotspur Way while away and he studies them all closely for any issues or highlights.

He then speaks to the players ahead of each game and to his coaching staff throughout. On Sunday you could see both Mason or fitness coach Stefano Bruno often coming forward to Stellini in the technical area to mention something, presumably a message from Conte, who has the final say on substitutions and tactics.

The head coach then rang to speak to the players in the dressing room after the game in a video call.

Pape Matar Sarr this week spoke to Sky about the absence of Conte and how Stellini and the staff have stepped up.

"There aren't too many differences as they've worked together for a long time. For me, there's no difference in the manner in which they work as it is the same methods," said the 20-year-old.

"We are working well and we have a coaching team that operates well whether [Conte] is there or not. It's just like it normally is, the group continues to work in the same dynamic and we want to finish as high as we can."

The feeling is that Conte will be back at the club in person this week. Stellini was unsure whether it would be in time for the FA Cup tie at Sheffield United on Wednesday night or rather Saturday's Premier League game at Wolves.

The assistant head coach is already set to helm the pre-match FA Cup press conference on Tuesday as he has done in domestic cups throughout this season and he will likely do the same after the game regardless of whether Conte is back or not.

For the game at Bramall Lane, Spurs will have to make changes in order to keep players fresh and get others sharper.

Richarlison could be handed a third consecutive start. What the Brazilian lacked in quality in the final third, he made up for somewhat with his willingness to fight for everything and it did not go unnoticed how much he covered down the left around his own penalty box.

For an attacking player, the 25-year-old made five tackles, second only to Emerson on the day.

Richarlison looked truly gutted when he came off in the 89th minute, devastated that he would miss out on a couple of minutes of added time and that he had not been able to contribute more. He pulled his shirt up over his face before he left the pitch.

The next step for him is contributing at the other end as for a £60m attacking signing, Richarlison will know he needs to bring more in the final third.

He played a good first-time pass on the turn to Dejan Kulusevski in the build-up to Spurs' opening goal but the fact that he has only scored in one game this season and not once in the Premier League is not good enough, regardless of his injury-enforced absences.

The man Richarlison replaced on Sunday, Son Heung-min, came on and proved a threat again as the match began to get stretched.

In the Brazilian and South Korean, Conte has two very different players. One more of a blunt instrument to batter defences and harass them, the other a tool to cut them down with his pace and penetration.

That Son still has nine goals and three assists from 32 games in a season that he admits has been a poor one by his standards shows how he can still contribute when he's not at his best. Sunday brought a dangerous corner that led to Kane's goal.

Son has also been carrying a problem in recent weeks that requires the odd session away from the group at Hotspur Way.

Both men could play together in midweek if Kane is handed his turn to have a rest on the bench with his training sessions still being managed after an illness last month that appears seemingly to have had some lingering after-effects.

Then there is January loan signing Arnaut Danjuma, who needs game time to sharpen him up for a busy schedule when he will be required while Lucas Moura could also get more minutes in Sheffield.

Sarr could also get his chance back in the team with perhaps Hojbjerg and Skipp sharing the other minutes in the match. The Dane did get the night off in Milan a fortnight ago so should be in a good condition while Skipp has played a run of games in a row after not doing so for a long while.

At the back others could come in but Conte and Stellini will also be mindful of not underestimating a Sheffield United team that got back to winning ways after two defeats with a victory against Watford on Saturday and they lie second in the Championship table. The Blades will be no pushover in front of a noisy crowd.

Things are looking brighter at the moment for Tottenham and they must continue that under the returning Conte. Last season they found some consistency just when it mattered the most and they have a stronger squad this time around to maintain it across more than one competition.

Spurs are in the top four and a gap behind them with an improved points total and this time they have FA Cup fifth round and Champions League last 16 matches also sitting on a packed menu. Things will taste a little bit sweeter at Hotspur Way this week and now Tottenham and Conte must sink their teeth into the fixtures ahead and leave no regrets on the table.

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