Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel were the stars of the match in the latest game against the Tottenham Hotspurs and Chelsea, a match that ultimately ended in a 2-2 tie long into the stoppage time for the English Premier League 2022-23.
This isn’t the first time that Conte and Tuchel have come face-to-face on the field, and many fans would remember the 2016 events when Tottenham’s title challenge had ended in another 2-2 draw while playing against Chelsea, but just as much drama took place off the field as it did on it. Six years later, Tuchel and Conte were able to shake hands after the final whistle, although there was obviously tension, and it didn’t take long for the two to end up in a screaming match before players and coaches from both sides dived in and caused a huge scene.
Conte and Tuchel were shown red cards, but this came after a number of clashes during the match. It was a hyper-charged game and tempers were running high throughout.
Match Breakdown
Chelsea was ahead for most of the first half of the game and claimed the lead proper in the 19th minute thanks to Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella. The Spurs, on the other hand, had battled to make any ground, losing a lot of opportunities that might have seen them push ahead of their opponents. Despite that, the team was still able to eventually draw out a tie by the 68th minute of the game, and mainly thanks to Pierre-Emile Hojberg’s shot that beat out Edouard Mendy.
Chelsea was not happy that Anthony Taylor – the referee for the match – did not penalise Rodrigo Bentacur for his challenge on Kai Havertz, and it didn’t take long for the two managers to begin screaming into each other’s faces over the decision, after which they were given yellow cards by Taylor.
Once everyone had settled, Chelsea jumped back into the front as James managed to score from a pass sent on by Raheem Sterling, and Tuchel sprinted along the side in joy after the goal landed.
A long Rivalry
The rivalry between the two teams has been building over the last few years, and it was apparent that both Conte and Tuchel would do anything to try and motivate their respective teams, making it a great opportunity for sports betting NZ fans to jump in with their stakes. Conte was especially animated throughout the game, with the manager racing toward Tuchel when Hojberg had equalised the score, and once again the two were at each once the final whistle had been called.