After Tottenham Hotspur battled to a 1-0 win against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League yesterday evening, Antonio Conte offered his thoughts on three players who were given some rare minutes.
A first half header from Harry Kane was enough to see Spurs secure an important win away at high-flying Brighton.
Spurs were coming off the back of a disappointing couple of results, with the defeat against Arsenal last weekend and a frustrating 0-0 draw against Frankfurt in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Speaking to BBC Sport after the win against Brighton, Antonio Conte discussed the reaction from his players, and the thinking behind his tactical set up this evening.
He said: “It was a good response [to the derby defeat] but we played a really good game with personality at Frankfurt in the Champions League.
“Now we have the chance to play two games in our stadium, our fortress. It is important for the fans to create a good atmosphere in our next game to push us until the end.
On switching to a 3-5-2 formation, Conte said: “I prefer in this game to start with two strikers because in this moment we have injuries. I am happy because I had a good response from Matt Doherty, Yves Bissouma played from the start, a lot of positive things.”
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Conte went into further detail regarding the performance from the team, and in particular players such as Doherty, Bissouma, and Oliver Skipp, who all got minutes after struggling for game time this season.
He told the BBC: “It was a good performance especially in a difficult game because Brighton is a really good team. The position in the table shows that they are a really good team with good players.
“We tried to play with intensity and I think the victory and the win is deserved. A great compliment to Brighton because they are a really good team.
“We wanted to play with one more midfielder because usually we play with two strikers but right now we have Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Moura injured. When you have to play every three days, you need to give players some rest.
On the decision to drop Richarlison from the starting line-up, Conte said: “Richarlison needed some rest, it is a different intensity to Everton so that is why he was on the bench.”
The fixture marked the first time Matt Doherty had started for Spurs since his injury last season, and also saw Oliver Skipp continue his own comeback from injury. Conte was clearly happy to get them on to the pitch and get some game time under their belts.
He said: “I’m happy that Oliver Skipp came back with us and I’m happy for Matt Doherty to come back after a long injury.
“There was a lot of positive things and we go away from here with a lot of confidence. We know we have an important game at home on Wednesday and I would like to invite our fans to make a good atmosphere in our stadium for that match.
“When the results are good for our players, I am the first person to be happy. We need to create a unity in the team and every player needs to know that they can play. In my opinion, there is room for every player in my squad.”
Spurs Web Opinion
It was a really big win for Spurs against a Brighton side who play great football and are notoriously difficult to beat, especially at their home ground. I think Conte’s decision to go to a 3-5-2 was really effective here, and all the players fulfilled their roles perfectly to secure the win.
Seeing the likes of Matt Doherty and Yves Bissouma come in to the starting line-up, and Oliver Skipp getting some minutes off the bench, was really satisfying and just shows how strong this squad is.
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