Tottenham (opens in a new tab) Head coach Antonio Conte has engaged in mind games with Jurgen Klopp as Spurs prepare to host Liverpool (opens in a new tab) on Sunday, reminding the Reds manager how his side ultimately missed out on last season’s title.
Liverpool were propelled to Premier League glory by Manchester City by a single point at the end – and their last dropped points of 2021/22 came in May’s 1-1 draw with Spurs at Anfield.
Conte’s side frustrated Klopp and co. with a determined defensive performance on Merseyside, where Son Heung-min put them forward before Luis Diaz salvaged a point for the Reds. Afterwards, Klopp made it clear what he thought of his counterpart’s tactical approach: “I don’t like that kind of football,” he said. said (opens in a new tab).
Reminded of this criticism, Conte was quick to point out what this draw meant for Klopp. Italian said (opens in a new tab):
“Yes, but if you remember he lost the Premier League for that result.”
Nonetheless, Conte seemed somewhat sympathetic to Klopp’s annoyance. He continued:
“I understood his frustration. They lost the title for these two points [dropped]. But you know, instead, we hit the Champions League with this draw.”
Spurs entertain Liverpool after two spectacular away wins: they came from 2-0 down to beat Bournemouth (opens in a new tab) 3-2 last time out in the league, then 1-0 down to beat Marseille 2-1 through Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s 95th-minute winner – securing top spot in their Champions League group.
The Reds, meanwhile, have lost their last two league games – 1-0 at Nottingham Forest (opens in a new tab) and 2-1 at home to Leeds (opens in a new tab)after leading early on – but beat Napoli 2-0 in their last Champions League group game.
