EPL

Conte: 'Real pity' Kane has not won trophies with Spurs or England

By Sports Desk September 02, 2022

Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte believes it is a "pity" that Harry Kane is yet to win a trophy in his career.

The England skipper has seen many personal records achieved and could equal another on Saturday against Fulham, where a goal would see him match the 42-goal tally of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry in London derbies.

Despite Kane's free-scoring form for club and country, the 29-year-old is yet to lift silverware.

For Spurs, Kane suffered defeat in the 2018-19 Champions League and lost two EFL Cup finals, while at international level he captained the England team that was beaten by Italy on penalties in the final of the European Championships at Wembley last year.

Conte expressed his disappointment for Kane in that regard, though added his side are pushing to change the narrative this season.

"The record underlines that you are doing something special and I think Harry in his career is doing something special in personal achievements," he said during Friday's press conference.

"It's a real pity that with so many goals... until now he didn't win [trophies].

"Usually when you score a lot of goals for your national team, for your club, you deserve a good win on your back. 

"But we're trying to work and help him to get this target. You know very well for us that Harry is an important player and we're talking about a world-class striker, but I also see in Harry the desire to do something special.

"The win means you lift the trophy, you win Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup or Champions League, with the national team; the World Cup, European Championship. These are trophies that you have to lift and you're talking about a top player and I think he deserves this."

Tottenham's fine start to the season has built upon a strong finish to the end of the last campaign, which saw Conte's side pip north London rivals Arsenal to a top-four finish, with Spurs unbeaten in their last 11.

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  • Spain must 'stick to football' at Euro 2024 - De la Fuente Spain must 'stick to football' at Euro 2024 - De la Fuente

    Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has urged the national side to concentrate on their football at Euro 2024 and block out the noise surrounding the RFEF.

    Former RFEF president Luis Rubiales was dismissed following his unsolicited kiss on Jenni Hermoso during the Women's World Cup trophy ceremony in 2023 and was then arrested in early April as part of a corruption investigation.

    Pedro Rocha, who was initially named as Rubiales’ replacement, is also under investigation amid the corruption probe.

    The RFEF then created a special committee at the end of April, led by former Spain manager Vicente del Bosque, to oversee the federation until there is an official election for their next president.

    However, De la Fuente told Reuters that he wants his squad’s full attention on the tournament itself. 

    He said: "We have to concern ourselves with purely, strictly sporting matters - which we have enough of.

    "We have to focus on what we can control. This is very, very basic, but it's very real. Stick to football.

    "I'm concerned about how the facilities are going to be, the training camp, the pitches, the travel. And on the pitch, because the players know that we are going to be judged for what we do on the pitch.

    "Everything else, all the media noise that exists around us, is not going to help us. So then we have to be totally and absolutely focused on what is, for us, the most important thing: the competition."

    Spain will begin their Euro 2024 campaign against Croatia in Group B on June 15. Their pool also includes Italy and Albania.

  • Guardiola: Time for Man City's Tottenham hoodoo to end Guardiola: Time for Man City's Tottenham hoodoo to end

    Pep Guardiola knows Manchester City have no choice but to end their Premier League hoodoo at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday, saying anything but a win will hand Arsenal the title.

    Following Arsenal's 1-0 win at Manchester United on Sunday, City are one point behind the Gunners at the summit with a game in hand.

    Arsenal are now in the unenviable position of needing a favour from their North London rivals, as a City win will ensure they enter this weekend's final set of fixtures with the title race in their hands.  

    However, City have lost on all four of their visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League without scoring, though they did manage a 1-0 FA Cup win there in January.

    Only Birmingham City (seven at Old Trafford) have played more Premier League games at a specific stadium without finding the net.

    Asked about the importance of ending that record, Guardiola said: "It's obvious, I would say. We have just one option, win the game. We will go from there.

    "We played really well there many times but weren't able to score or win games. We are trying to do something special, so we have to do that this time.

    "This is the time to do it, otherwise Arsenal will be champions."

    Some Tottenham fans have expressed unease about the prospect of helping their old enemies end their 20-year wait to be crowned champions of England, but Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has hit out at those questioning his team's motivation.

    "What do you think we're going to do as a team? Like any team on this planet, aren't we just going to try and win? It's a simple, basic premise," Postecoglou said. 

    "Now how that makes people feel, I'm not really fussed. I don't really care."

    Touching on City's hunt for an unprecedented fourth straight English top-flight title, he added: "Sometimes people think once you win it once it becomes easier, but it becomes harder.

    "It's a testament not just to Pep but the whole organisation and how they want to achieve success."

    PLAYERS TO WATCH 

    Tottenham – Dejan Kulusevski 

    Kulsevski has been directly involved in five goals in his four Premier League games against City, more than he has versus any other opponent in the competition (three goals, two assists).

    The Swede scored a last-minute equaliser as the sides played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in December's reverse fixture, but he has failed to net in any of his last 11 Premier League matches.

    Manchester City – Phil Foden

    Foden and Jack Grealish both scored in City's reverse fixture against Spurs. The only previous players to score home and away against Tottenham in a Premier League season for the Citizens are Sergio Aguero (2013-14 and 2014-15), Ilkay Gundogan (2017-18) and Raheem Sterling (2017-18).

    Foden netted his 25th goal of the campaign across all competitions in City's 4-0 rout of Fulham on Saturday, and the Player of the Season candidate will play a key role here.

    MATCH PREDICTION – MANCHESTER CITY WIN

    Arsenal supporters may not feel great about having to cheer on their old rivals, but history suggests Tottenham have a chance of providing a twist in the title race – regardless of how their own fans feel about that prospect.

    Indeed, City have lost more Premier League games against Tottenham under Guardiola (six), than they have against any other side.

    The champions, however, are in ominous form, going unbeaten through their last 21 Premier League matches (17 wins, four draws). 

    Only once have they enjoyed a longer run in the competition, going 30 without losing between April 2017 and January 2018.

    They have also won their last four away league games, the last three of them by an aggregate score of 10-0. Only once in their league history have they won four in a row on the road without conceding, doing so as a second-tier club between March and April 1903.

    Regardless of their terrible record on this ground, it is difficult to see the champions slipping up.

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    Tottenham – 20.1%

    Manchester City – 54.8%

    Draw – 25.1%

  • Spurs will not 'roll out red carpet' for Man City - Postecoglou Spurs will not 'roll out red carpet' for Man City - Postecoglou

    Ange Postecoglou does not believe the Tottenham fans want their side to lose and insists his side will not "roll out the red carpet" for Manchester City.

    The Premier League title race will go down to the final day after Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday, but it is yet to be decided who will go into the last match on top of the table.

    City sit one point behind the Gunners, and if they win their game in hand over Spurs on Tuesday, they will reclaim top spot.

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    Arsenal need a favour from their North London rivals if they want to win their first Premier League title since 2004, but Postecoglou says he does not believe that will affect what result the fans want.

    He said: "You think the majority of our fans are not going to want us to win?

    "I don't see it that way. I think the majority of our fans will create the atmosphere they always create at our games. We've got a game of football to win and that's what we'll try to do.

    "City haven't won it yet and if you think they have, then it becomes an issue because we're rolling out a red carpet for them, and I'm not going to do that.

    "I'm not just going to sit there and watch them win. That doesn't sit comfortably with me."

    Pressed on if a proportion of fans would be against a positive result, Postecoglou added: "A proportion of our fans? What does that mean? What proportion? 50 per cent? 20 per cent? One per cent?

    "That's fine, people are allowed to feel the way they do.

    "But I think I've been consistent and really strong in my beliefs that it's important for this football club not to look for silver bullets to get to where we want to; it's hard work, it's resilience, it's quality, not to fall for any false dawns - and know what real success looks like: trophies.

    "Anything else in between, bragging rights, whatever it is, is absolutely meaningless to me or anyone involved with me. We've got a game we want to win."

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