‘An older player’ – Conte gives ‘great’ review of Pape Matar Sarr vs Arsenal

In an interview with the club’s official website, Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has praised Pape Matar Sarr for his maturity and overall performance in the North London derby.

The youngster has not had the easiest start to life at Tottenham since his move from FC Metz in the summer of 2021 (Sky Sports). He spent the 2021/22 season back on loan with the French side, and was expected to go out on loan again this season but that never materialised.

Sarr has instead spent the campaign on the fringes of Antonio Conte’s squad, having to settle for a seat on the substitute’s bench for the entirety of the first half of the season. The situation has improved since the World Cup break, however, and Sarr has found himself getting minutes under his belt.

The 20-year-old came on as a substitute in the Premier League games against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, before starting the FA Cup clash with Portsmouth and playing the full 90 minutes.

He was then given his first league start when he was thrown into the fray against Arsenal on Sunday (Transfermarkt).

Despite the disappointing result, Conte was happy with what he saw from Sarr, saying: “He showed great personality, he played a good game and in my opinion, he showed to be an older player.

“This is very important. We are talking about a player who is only 20 years old but he deserved to have this chance.

“Against Crystal Palace I decided for Skippy, today I decided for Pape Sarr, but both players, we can count on them. Then, you know, we are talking about young players – we have to work, to develop and then they will be ready.”

Spurs Web Opinion

There were many negatives over the weekend, but seeing Pape Matar Sarr getting his chance is most definitely a positive. It can’t have been easy for the youngster, but he carried himself admirably and hopefully, he can keep getting more chances this season now.

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