‘We started very well’ – Conte insists Spurs deserved draw vs Newcastle

Antonio Conte has revealed that he was pleased with the first-half performance his side put in on Sunday, and insisted that a draw would have been a fair result.

Spurs started on the front foot and created several opportunities early in the encounter but it was the away side who opened the scoring first in controversial circumstances as Hugo Lloris seem to be blocked by Callum Wilson, who stroked the ball into an empty net.

Miguel Almiron then doubled the Magpies’ lead before half-time, giving Conte’s men a mountain to climb after the interval.

Although Tottenham pulled one back in the 54th minute through Harry Kane, Newcastle held firm amidst Spurs pressure and manage to hold on to the win.

Conte did not comment on referee Jarred Gillett’s decision not to award a free-kick for his side when Lloris was bought down but the Italian insisted that the result was not a fair reflection of the game.

When asked why Tottenham’s second-half performance was better than their first-half display, he told Football.London: “Do you think? I think that instead in the first half we started really well and we played really well.

“Before they scored I think I have seen only team. It was Tottenham and Pope made two, three amazing saves, if we go to watch the game again.

Then we conceded this goal which for sure we can do much better. I don’t want to comment on the referee’s decision because you know I don’t like to do it, but for sure, we can do much better in this situation.

“Then just a couple of minutes later, we conceded a second goal, and this second goal could kill everybody. Instead, if there is one side, I am happy it’s seeing a good reaction from my players.

I have seen in the second half in this situation, you have a big risk to lose your mind, to lose your head and then risk to concede a lot of goals.

“We tried to score, we scored one goal and tried to create chances to level the game, but in the end, we didn’t do it. In my personal opinion, I think the draw was the most fair result tonight.”

Spurs Web Opinion

The game would have certainly been different had we managed to take one of our early chances but it was always going to be difficult to come back into it once Newcastle scored their second, particularly given how well-organised Eddie Howe’s side were defensively.

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