Antonio Conte: Tottenham Claim Dramatic 3-2 Win in Italian’s First Game in Charge

• Conte oversaw his side claim a dramatic 3-2 win over Vitesse in the Europa Confrence League
• Tottenham went 3-0 up but nearly surrendered the lead, but held on for an important win
• After the game, Conte expressed desire to see his side improve in the upcoming matches

Antonio Conte began his Tottenham reign in dramatic fashion as the North London club claimed a dramatic 3-2 win against Vitesse in the Europa Conference League on Thursday, November 4.

Spurs nearly blew a three-goal lead after initially setting themselves up nicely in the first half thanks to goals from Son Heung Min, Lucas Moura and an own goal from Vitesse’s Jacob Vandsø Rasmussen.

In a game that saw three red cards, Vitesse did well to pull two goals back but it was too little too late for the Dutch side, who finished the game with nine men.

It is worth noting that while Tottenham got their Europa Conference League campaign back on track, it was far from the typical solid defensive performances that have been the trademark of any Antonio Conte team over the past decade.

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Son got the first goal in the Conte era in the 14th minute driving home a clever shot, with Lucas Moura racing clear for his side’s second goal eight minutes later.

Vitesse’s Jacob Rasmussen then bundled the ball into his own net under pressure from Harry Kane in what looked like the goal that put Spurs out of reach, but there was more drama to ensue.

Rasmussen made amends as he rose highest to head home from a corner as Matus Bero came up with a cool finish before halftime to further reduce the deficit.

Vitesse were a nuisance throughout the second half but Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris did well to keep out efforts from both Lois Openda and Riechedly Bazoer.

In the end, Spurs came out with an all-important win to climb into second place, behind Rennes in Group G.

“Room for improvement”

Speaking after the game, Conte was the first to admit that Tottenham had loads of room to up their game.

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"In my opinion and my mind there is a lot of space for improvement for this team, in every single player," Conte told BT Sport.

“We need to have a bit of patience because we need to work on many aspects - tactically and physically and also the players have to understand what I want.

Tottenham’s next assignment will be against Everton in the Premier League on Sunday, November 7.

Conte signs 18-month deal

On Tuesday, October 2, Tottenham confirmed Conte as their new boss in an 18-month deal.

This is Conte’s second stint in the Premier League, after initially managing Chelsea where he won the Premier League in his first season in charge.

What is the Europa Conference League?

The Europa Conference League is a third-tier European competition sitting below the Champions and Europa League.

Qualification for the competition was through domestic league places, while cup winners from lower-ranked leagues can also qualify.