Mikel Arteta has his say on Tottenham appointing Antonio Conte

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The Premier League returns for its final weekend of action before the international break this weekend and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been talking to the press about Antonio Conte.

The Gunners’ north London rivals, Tottenham, appointed Conte this week in place of the departed Nuno Espirito Santo. The appointment has sent shockwaves through the Premier League, with Conte a proven winner.

For Arteta, it is yet another world-class manager for him to come up against in English football, Along with the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, the English game now has some of the very top names in coaching.

Competition

When pressed on Tottenham’s decision to appoint Conte, Arteta told his press conference that he feels more sorry for Nuno losing his job.

“Well first of all I would like to send a message to Nuno and his coaching staff. Because it is always tough to see a colleague leave the job and Nuno has done extremely well in this country and has proven to be a top, top manager. They made a decision to bring in somebody else, we know that he has a really successful past in the last two jobs and we will see how he does here,” Arteta told his pre-match presser.

Conte’s Tottenham will be expected to challenge for the top four now. Of course, that is Arteta and Arsenal’s goal for the season. And the Gunners boss believes Conte’s arrival makes that goal even tougher.

“I think it will be for any team, to be fighting for the top positions. There are so many games to go, a lot will happen. You see results and performances, and how games vary from one half to another, with moments in the game, that tells you the quality that is here in terms of players and managers.”

TBR’s View: Conte to up the stakes in Premier League football

Tottenham getting Conte in is not only a blow for the likes of Arteta and Arsenal. But it’s a blow for the rest of the league!

The Italian will want and expect his Tottenham side to be challenging for the top four. Especially after January, when it’s likely he’ll be given some extensive backing by the board.

But on the whole, it’s good news for the league. The more top coaches we have, the more exciting a product the PL is. And with Conte now back, we could even get some of the best Serie A talents coming over.

Certainly, it’s an exciting time for the neutral fan.