Antonio Conte says Arsenal are setting an example in the Champions League (LaPresse/Shutterstock)
Antonio Conte believes Arsenal are ‘setting an example’ in the Champions League with their dominance at set-pieces.
Mikel Arteta’s side have won all seven of their games in the Champions League this season and will finish top of the league phase if they secure at least a draw at home to Kairat Almaty on Wednesday evening.
Across the Premier League and the Champions League this term, 29 per cent of Arsenal’s goals have come from set-pieces as teams continue to struggle to defend against the Gunners from corners.
Conte, whose Napoli side host Chelsea in their final Champions League league phase match on Wednesday night, believes all teams are now looking at Arsenal as an example to follow.
When asked about the growing trend of teams scoring goals from set-pieces rather than from open play, Conte replied: ‘It’s proof of that. Football is evolving at an absurd pace, and you risk falling behind.
‘Today, you need a goalkeeper who’s good with his feet and has a long range under pressure. Before, you had the ball and waited in your half of the pitch to counterattack. There was a division, I attack, you defend. Today, that’s not the case.
Twenty-nine per cent of Arsenal’s goals in the Premier League and Champions League this season have come from set-pieces (Getty)
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‘What’s the primary objective? Trying to dominate matches, having the ball. And if you have it, I don’t wait, but come and get it in your half. Goals scored from stolen balls while pressing high have increased. It’s inevitable that during the game, you’ll come up against weaker teams that won’t give you space, and you have to be good at finding solutions with creative players.
‘Today, you see Arsenal dominating and setting an example in set-pieces, we’re all looking at this aspect. Having a player who can take long throws is important, because it’s like a corner. You have to be good at explaining these changes to clubs in the transfer market, because they may not understand certain things.
‘Football is changing. In the Premier League, every free kick is a scoring opportunity, and you have to be good at building teams. If everyone’s low, you can end up paying for your active or passive situations.
‘You have to be willing to keep up to date and capture the positives if you want to stay at the top. If you want to remain mediocre, stay in your current situation and do what you did before. If you want to be among the best, you have to keep up-to-date and adapt, capturing the best aspects.’
Conte also praised Chelsea and believes his former club are ‘building something for the future’.
‘When I arrived there, I was the manager of a team that had finished tenth the year before, and we won the league and played in the FA Cup final against Arsenal. Then we won the FA Cup the following year,’ Conte said.
‘I have to thank [Roman] Abramovich and Marina [Granovskaia] for giving me the opportunity to spend part of my career abroad, at an extraordinary club with an exceptional vision. When you’re there, you breathe in the winning mentality.
‘Now Chelsea is continuing that path, trying to win with big investments. They’ve acquired valuable young players, but sometimes there are situations between young players and experienced players.
‘Every manager would like young players but if some cost €60 million, €70m, €80m, or €120m like Caicedo and Fernandez, it’s not for everyone, especially in Italy. But they are doing very well, I think that they are building something for the future and I’m happy for Chelsea.’
Antonio Conte has responded after Diego Costa called him ‘very bitter’ (Getty)
Conte also hit back at Diego Costa after the former Chelsea striker described the Italian as ‘always angry’ and ‘very bitter’.
‘Honestly, I’m not one to waste energy reading what people say in the newspapers,’ Conte said when asked about Costa’s comments.
‘I know very well that around football there are intelligent and stupid people, I don’t waste my time reading things that intelligent or stupid people say.
‘Diego Costa played with me for one season, I can speak about the football, we won the league together, then he wanted to go away three times in the same season, I only know this. Then after Chelsea, I don’t know what happened to him.’
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