Antonio Conte hailed the killer instinct of his bloodthirsty Tottenham front three after a clinical 4-0 win at Aston Villa boosted hopes of Champions League football next season.

Son Heung-min hit a hat-trick, taking him to 17 Premier League goals for the season, and winger Dejan Kulusevski was also on target at Villa Park.

Harry Kane had two assists, meanwhile, as Tottenham's front three ran Villa ragged in the second half.

Son has the most goals in the Premier League this season when penalties are removed from the count, given none of his strikes have been spot-kicks. Mohamed Salah's league-leading 20-goal haul includes five penalties.

Villa finished the game with a higher expected goals figure than Tottenham, 1.71 to Spurs' 1.02. That reflected the golden chances Villa spurned, particularly in the first half when Danny Ings, Ollie Watkins and Philippe Coutinho all threatened.

The statistic also spoke of Tottenham's ability to sniff a half chance and snatch a goal, which is something that delights Conte.

Earlier defeats for Arsenal and Manchester United meant Tottenham had a great opportunity to tighten their grip on fourth place, and Conte said: "We have to look to ourselves. I said this to our players: a strong team, a big team, doesn't depend on the others.

"We have to understand the moment when you have to kill your opponent. Today was an important moment, especially because of other results. It was good for us, but it was good because we won. If you don't win, the result of the other teams is not useful.

"The players know very well what I said. The winner has to feel when there is blood, the blood of your opponent, and then you have to kill your opponent.

"I think we are working very hard in many aspects. I'm lucky because I have a group of players that deserve the best because they show me great commitment, great behaviour every day.

"They want to improve, and to get these kind of results in a short time makes me very happy because I know that they are very happy."

Tottenham have won six of their last seven games in the Premier League, after a previous rocky spell of results.

They have seven games remaining, including a big derby against Arsenal next month and a trip to title hopefuls Liverpool.

Tottenham appear to be growing all the time, and being able to set aside a sketchy opening 45 minutes, when Son's early goal gave them a lead they scarcely deserved by the break, showed a particular quality that pleased Conte.

Son, Kane and Kulusevski were unaffected by the battering Tottenham had taken, and came out for the second half determined to stamp a greater mark on the game.

"I think that the task of the coach is to try to exploit the characteristic of the players, to put the players in the best situation," Conte told Sky Sports.

"I think this formation is sweet for the characteristics of these players, and it is working very well. We're starting to work about the details. This is very important because don't forget that I arrived in November, not in pre-season. I think we have grown in an important way, and now we're showing that it's tough to play against us."

Son also spoke of the dynamic between the front three. Since Kulusevski's Premier League debut on February 9, only Kane (13) and Son (12) have been involved in more goals in the competition than the former Juventus winger (nine), taking all teams into account.

"It's all about understanding," said Son. "The first time we played together it wasn't perfect. We're still not perfect, but we improve every single day and enjoy playing together."

Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte insists he will keep pushing the "fantastic" Harry Kane to improve and be the best striker in the world.

Kane claimed March's Premier League Player of the Month award after playing a direct role in half of his side's goals last month, finding the net four times and recording two assists.

The England international followed that up with another assist in the 5-1 rout of Newcastle United last time out, the 20th Premier League goal he has created in his last 63 appearances, as many as he managed in his first 211 outings in the competition.

The Spurs talisman also moved level with Bobby Charlton in last month's internationals, with Kane just four away from Wayne Rooney's record 53 goals for England.

Conte reiterated his praise for Kane ahead of a trip to Aston Villa on Saturday as he discussed the importance of the 28-year-old, who he feels can still develop.

"I think he deserves an important position in the world of football," Conte said of his star striker at a pre-match news conference on Thursday.

"I think Harry also he has the right age to show that he can be one of the best, best in the world and in history. He's already in history because he's scored a lot of goals for the club and the national team. He's of the right age to consolidate this and be one of the best.

"He's not typical in that he's a number nine and number 10. We try to exploit this characteristic.

"We are talking about a fantastic player. It's very difficult to improve him but we're trying to work and push him to the top ambition, to be the best striker."

Spurs sit fourth in the league – above Arsenal on goal difference but Mikel Arteta's side have played a game fewer than their north London rivals – and Conte believes his side are developing after spending more time working with them.

"I've had more days to work with the team and this is important," he added. "Don't forget I came in in November and didn't have the same time as other managers with pre-season and the players you wanted to sign in the summer.

"It's important for me to have more time to spend with my team to improve the physical and technical aspects."

Matt Doherty is one of those to improve under Conte, with the wing-back on target against Newcastle as eight Spurs players recorded either a goal or an assist in a single Premier League game for just the second time, and the Italian hailed the former Wolves man.

"Matthew is the typical player that is showing big improvement," he continued. "If you remember at the start he didn't play a lot with me because at that moment I think he didn't deserve to play.

"Then he worked very hard. He is a really good guy and in every training session you see the desire and the will to improve himself.

"He has a great mentality, many times when players don't play a lot they go down mentally. Instead he has shown me to be strong and shown me 'I do what you want, I am going to improve and when I am ready I want to play'.

"He has shown me that not with talking, but with attitude and behaviour. He is playing very well and with great confidence and I am very happy for him. It's a good example for everyone."

The north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham has been rearranged for Thursday, May 12, the Premier League has confirmed.

The Gunners caused a stir in the middle of January when they successfully appealed for their clash at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to be postponed, citing a COVID-19 outbreak within their squad.

The league opted to reschedule for a later date, despite Arsenal – who had injury problems, Granit Xhaka suspended and four players at the Africa Cup of Nations – reporting just one positive coronavirus test.

Questions were raised over the legitimacy of the postponement, with Spurs announcing they were "extremely surprised" at the decision, and Antonio Conte reminded Mikel Arteta he had not forgotten the call-off in March when the Spaniard bemoaned scheduling issues.

Nevertheless, the fixture will take place on the penultimate week of the season, just 10 days before the conclusion of the Premier League, and could decide who secures the final Champions League spot.

Tottenham overtook their local rivals on goal difference on Sunday with a 5-1 thrashing of Newcastle United, but Arsenal can reclaim fourth spot with victory at Crystal Palace on Monday.

Even after the visit to Selhurst Park, Mikel Arteta's Gunners will still have a game in hand on Conte's top-four chasers.

However, the rearranged derby has also brought more changes to the schedule of Arsenal, who will now face Leeds United on Sunday, May 8 and Newcastle on Monday, May 16 either side of the Spurs clash.

Antonio Conte labelled Dejan Kulusevski a "great signing for the present and for the future" after his superb start to life in the Premier League continued in Tottenham's 5-1 win over Newcastle United on Sunday.

The Sweden international was a January deadline day arrival from Juventus and has made a strong early impression in the Premier League, recording his fifth assist in the emphatic victory.

Having also scored twice in that period, Kulusevski has helped lift the attacking burden from Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son since arriving.

"We are talking about a player that I know very well, because he played in Italy," Conte said. "He started to play with Atalanta, then Atalanta [sent] him on loan to Parma, and he played in Serie A, and he played in a fantastic way.

"We are talking about a player who is only 21 years old, and he has to continue to play this way, because he's strong physically, big engine, he's good technically.

"I think for Tottenham this is a great signing for the present and for the future. We are talking about really, really strong."

In addition to Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur arrived from Juventus on deadline day this year and the two have blossomed under Conte at Spurs.

The Tottenham boss believes the two signings have helped them fill a positional need and find balance.

"I said that with these two players despite that we lost four players in January, with these two signings we made this squad more complete, with more balance," Conte said.

"I think that it's very important in football to have a clear idea, and to have a good vision. Because in this way, the situation is more simple."

Fourth in the Premier League, Tottenham will travel to face Aston Villa this Saturday.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is not willing to be drawn into mind games with Tottenham counterpart Antonio Conte and is instead focused on getting the most out of his players.

Conte last week stated that Spurs would require "a miracle" to finish fourth place in the Premier League.

Tottenham increased the pressure on Arsenal by hammering Newcastle United 5-1 on Sunday to leapfrog their north London rivals into the final Champions League qualification spot.

However, the Gunners are only behind Tottenham on goal difference and have two games in hand, the first of those coming away at Crystal Palace on Monday.

Conte's comments were perceived as being psychological tactics ahead of a potentially tense run-in that will see the fierce rivals do battle in a rescheduled game.

But Arteta, who was named Manager of the Month for March, is only interested in deploying such tactics internally.

"I don't know if we are favourites [for the top four]," Arteta said. "That is a question for [Conte]. 

"But what we want to do is very clear and the perception of what people think is not going to change it."

When asked if he is a manager who wants to engage in mind games, Arteta replied: "I do it more with my players, I think.

"I do it more with the players, if I have to, to get what I want from them. I can't tell you how I do it because they will know what they are doing and that is the whole point!"

Arsenal have won six of their past seven games ahead of their trip to Palace, who are managed by Gunners midfield legend Patrick Vieira.

Arteta's side have won each of their past five away top-flight matches, which is their best run since a streak of eight in a row between March and September 2013.

That is a remarkable turnaround following their worst start to a Premier League campaign when losing their first three games, and Arteta is confident his young squad can maintain their form.

"There is nothing different; they have already been dealing with [the pressure] for weeks," he said. 

"This is a conversation we have had now for over six to eight weeks, so they have already been through that and have responded really, really well.

"There is nothing new because they have already been doing it and capable of doing it."

Arsenal have lost just one of their past 16 away league games against Palace (W8 D7), though that defeat did come in a Monday game back in April 2017 (3-0).

Tottenham great David Ginola disagrees with Antonio Conte's assertion that Spurs need a "miracle" to finish in the top four, but is not convinced that will be enough to keep Harry Kane happy.

Conte has repeatedly attempted to manage expectations around the North London side, insisting on Friday that Manchester United and Arsenal should be favoured for fourth place, rather than his side.

Spurs have won four of their last five Premier League games, having lost four of their previous five, and are three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal – with a crucial North London derby still to be rearranged – heading into Sunday's clash with Newcastle United  

Ginola, who made exactly 100 Premier League appearances during a three-year spell at White Hart Lane, believes Tottenham have Champions League qualification "in their own hands".

"A miracle? I don't think so," Ginola said to Sky Sports ahead of Tottenham's meeting with Newcastle. "If they win all their games until the end of the season, they can finish in the top four. 

"Their destiny is in their own hands. If they play the way they can play, if they have no injuries and the players realise their duty for the rest of the season, looking at the remaining fixtures, it's very simple for Spurs.

"Antonio Conte will be crucial, and on the pitch, it will be [important] for Kane and Son Heung-Min to score the goals."

Kane was named Premier League Player of the Month for a joint-record seventh time on Friday, having recorded six goal contributions (four goals and two assists) during a largely successful month for Spurs.

Tottenham's 12 goals in March represented the highest tally recorded by any Premier League side but the England captain's future remains a topic of debate after he handed in a transfer request before the start of the season.

The 28-year-old failed to force through a move to reigning champions Manchester City, but Ginola believes he will not be content with qualifying for the Champions League and needs to challenge for trophies.

"For a player of his calibre, playing year-in, year-out, just to be in the top four, it's not enough," he added added.

"If he's got propositions in the future to play with clubs who will challenge for and win trophies, that's where he could [leave]. At the end of your career, what you look at is the list of trophies that you won."

Kane has hit 12 goals and five assists in Premier League action this season, with his telepathic partnership with fellow forward Son keeping Spurs in top-four contention. 

Over half of Kane's career Premier League assists to date (20 of 39) have set up the South Korea forward, with only Frank Lampard (24 for Didier Drogba) and David Silva (21 for Sergio Aguero) ever teeing up another player on more occasions in the competition.  

Tottenham boss Antonio Conte claims that achieving a top-four finish in the Premier League will require a "miracle" as he prepares for Sunday's clash with Newcastle United.

Spurs have won four of their last five Premier League games, having lost four of their previous five. They have also scored at least two goals in each of their last five matches, last doing so in more consecutive league games between February and April 2017 (a run of seven games).

Ahead of welcoming Newcastle to north London, Spurs trail fourth-placed Arsenal by just three points, but Conte was keen to highlight that his team are not favourites to finish in the Champions League places.

"It's right to underline that this target is very, very difficult," Conte said of Spurs' Champions League ambitions.

"We are not the only team that wants to try to do this miracle. There's also Arsenal, that in this moment has an advantage, and then there is United.

"United is the team that in this season are struggling a lot. Last season, it was Liverpool. 

"This season it depends on United. At the moment, we are among the teams that have to try to stay very close and exploit if someone fails this season.

"If you ask me about the past, about our possibility to reach a place in the Champions League, I would say it would be very, very, very difficult.

"Now, after five months, I'm seeing great improvement of my team, and we have to fight until the end. 

"We have the possibility to reach this target, and it's important to have this type of ambition and put pressure on ourselves for this target. To play Champions League next season is important for me, the club, the players, the fans, everybody."

Conte, however, was keen to focus on his own team's progress, though he did admit that a victory would put "pressure" on the Gunners.

"First of all, we have to win for us," he added. "Not look at others. This way you build a winning mentality. You have to look at yourself and not think what happens elsewhere. 

"For sure, if you get three points and get continuity, you show you're a stable team and the table becomes very interesting. 

"But we have to win for us, for our fans and the work we're doing at the club. But for sure, if you win you put pressure on the others."

Hugo Lloris hailed the work of Antonio Conte for inspiring Tottenham to make "real progression" and putting them in contention for European football.

The France international's future in north London was doubtful in January with just six months left on his contract and the option to negotiate with foreign clubs for an end-of-season free transfer.

However, Spurs captain Lloris committed his future to Conte's project by signing a new two-and-a-half-year deal to keep him at the Premier League club until the end of the 2023-24 season.

While Spurs' form nosedived initially in the wake of Lloris' extension announcement, losing four of their following five Premier League matches, things had started to look up again prior to the international window.

Spurs went into the break having won four out of their past five games in the league, form that has seen them climb up to fifth place with nine fixtures left.

While they remain three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, who have played one match fewer, Lloris credited Conte for restoring belief at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"I extended a month and a half ago. Things were done fairly quickly with the leaders, with a lot of respect and consideration," Lloris said in an interview with Europe 1, as quoted by FootMercato.

"It's been two and a half years that we've known ups and downs, irregularity in terms of results. But since the arrival of Conte, we feel a real progression.

"We have the feeling that we are crossing a plateau. I think we will be ready to go for the European places."

The 35-year-old will be hoping Spurs can continue their push for a place in the top four after the international break when they host Newcastle United on April 3.

Romelu Lukaku credited Cristiano Ronaldo for motivating him to find "another level" at Inter when the pair competed together in Serie A.

Lukaku led Inter to their first Scudetto in over a decade last season, scoring 24 league goals, before returning to former club Chelsea in a £97.5million (€115m) move ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

The Belgium international is yet to hit the same lofty heights at Stamford Bridge, finding the net just five times in 19 league appearances this season, but his efforts at Inter continue to be recognised.

Lukaku has been named as the 2020-21 Footballer of the Year by the Italian Footballers Association, while former coach Antonio Conte and Inter were respectively honoured as Coach of the Year and Club of the Year.

Meanwhile, Chelsea man Lukaku was joined in the Top 11 for the season by Ronaldo, who scored 29 goals for Juventus before himself heading back to the Premier League with Manchester United.

Former Juventus forward Ronaldo was also announced as part of the team of the season, and Lukaku hailed the Portugal star for pushing him to achieve what he did at Inter.

"It's truly an honour to have been voted the best player and to have entered last year's Top 11 in Serie A," Lukaku said.

"I want to thank everyone who voted for me and especially my team-mates, because I think without the team I couldn't have made it. We won together, the coach was always next to us, as well as the club and the fans.

"Playing in Serie A was a dream I had since I was a child and I did everything necessary to win in Italy.

"Finding yourself in front of Cristiano Ronaldo is something that does not happen often, because for me he is in the top three of the best players in the history of football, a player who really took me to another level.

"This award gives me great confidence for the future."

Tottenham defender Eric Dier is appreciating the impact Antonio Conte has had on his game as he explained he feels 2021-22 has been his most consistent season.

Dier has featured in 26 Premier League games for Spurs this season, starting each of those matches.

Of those league appearances, 19 have come under Conte, with the 28-year-old only missing three top-flight games due to a thigh injury sustained in January.

No Tottenham player has featured in more defensive clean sheets than Dier's 11 in the league this season, while his 95 clearances is also way ahead of any team-mate, with Emerson Royal ranked second on 51.

Harry Kane is the only Spurs player to win more aerial duels than Dier's 52, with the centre-back making a team-high 60 headed clearances.

Only Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (1,885) has attempted more passes than Dier (1,616) for Spurs, with the latter tasked with helping to build attacking moves from his position in the centre of Conte's back three.

Dier turned in another strong display as Spurs beat West Ham 3-1 on Sunday to move to within three points of fourth-placed Arsenal, and though he has missed out on Gareth Southgate's 25-man squad for England's fixtures this month, Conte believes the former Sporting CP defender will go to the World Cup in Qatar this year.

The centre-back is encouraged by Conte's support, as he went on to claim he is playing his best football since he arrived at the club in 2014, when he enjoyed a brilliant breakout season under Mauricio Pochettino.

"I feel for me this is consistently my best season I have had so far at Tottenham, not just as a defender but overall," Dier told the Evening Standard.

"I don't think I've ever shown the consistency in the performances that I have shown this season and I feel like my football is the best it has been in my opinion.

"It is always very nice when a manager, especially one like him, says those things, it gives me a lot of confidence, but the thing I pay most attention to from his words are that I have a lot of space for improvement and I think that is really the thing he says that I focus on the most.

"I want to fill that space, fill that potential, as much as possible, as much as he thinks possible."

Antonio Conte called on Mikel Arteta to remember the postponed clash between Tottenham and Arsenal, after the Gunners' manager fumed at the Premier League schedule.

Arteta vented his frustration after a 2-0 loss to Liverpool on Wednesday, sarcastically thanking the league for their scheduling, which sees Arsenal visit Aston Villa in Saturday's early kick-off.

Arsenal also face Chelsea and Manchester United in quick succession next month, on April 20 and 23, and the Spaniard doubled down on his comments ahead of the clash with Villa.

Arteta suggested "we've been the only team that has been scheduled like that", citing the short turnaround time as a problem for players' welfare heading into the crunch period of the season.

Spurs head coach Conte was quick to remind his north London rival of the situation in January that left Tottenham "extremely surprised" following the postponement of the derby with Arsenal, who were granted a rearrangement due to COVID-19, injuries and the Africa Cup of Nations leaving them with a "depleted squad".

When asked about Arteta's recent comments, Conte told Friday's pre-match news conference: "Arteta should remember the game postponed, Tottenham-Arsenal.

"In general, I think my answer is enough. If someone wants to think about fair or unfair. We postponed the game, Tottenham-Arsenal. I don't forget this. And it's not right to speak about fair or unfair."

Spurs host fellow top-four chasers West Ham on Sunday, currently sitting three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, who have played one game fewer.

While Conte believes the meeting with David Moyes' side may be too soon for Oliver Skipp, the Italian hopes to have the midfielder back after the international break.

"About Skippy, I hope to have him after the international break," Conte said. "His pain is getting better and better.

"About Ryan [Sessegnon], we're waiting for weeks to have another scan and then if everything is OK he'll restart training sessions with us."

The former Inter and Chelsea coach was also keen to praise Cristian Romero, who he feels will be a key player with the right guidance.

"Cristian is a player who has to be focused in every moment of a game," he added. "If he's good, he's focused from the start, from the first to last second of the game and he's a really important player for us.

"He has a bit to improve in this situation, to be focused on every moment of the game. Sometimes he gets a yellow card he can avoid. He has to improve in this aspect, to be focused from the start to the end.

"Sometimes you can't explain this in a good manner - you have to shout! But he's a good guy and he understands that what I do is always best for the team and himself.

"He has quality to be a great defender so it's important to find the right way to improve the player."

Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his right knee, the club has confirmed.

Tanganga has not played since January following the injury and will now not return to action until the start of the 2022-23 campaign for the north London outfit.

"Japhet Tanganga has undergone surgery on his right knee and will be out for the remainder of the season," the club confirmed in an official statement.

"The England Under-21 international will undergo a period of recovery and is expected to return to training during the pre-season period."

Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly opened talks with Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte, who has a clause to leave Spurs at the end of the season.

Conte's contract with the North London club runs until the end of the 2022-23 season, after replacing Nuno Espirito Santo in November last year.

However, while the specific terms of that contract are unclear, it reportedly allows for a departure pending certain circumstances. 

TOP STORY – PSG TARGET CONTE AS POCH REPLACEMENT

According to Calciomercato, Paris Saint-Germain are set to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino and are already in the process of looking for his replacement.

Their primary target appears to be Antonio Conte  - who is reportedly tempted by the contract - which is forcing Tottenham into action, to persuade him to see out his deal. 

The 52-year-old is not the only candidate according to the report, with Massimiliano Allegri and Zinedine Zidane also among the potential hires.

Tottenham accounted for Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday, but earlier last week, Conte said he would discuss his future with Spurs at the end of the season. 

ROUND-UP

- Per reports from Kicker, Robert Lewandowski is yet to extend his contract at Bayern Munich, despite Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic's public claims the club wants him to stay. With the Polish striker entering the final 18 months of his current deal, agent Pini Zahavi is looking to secure his future at Sabenerstrasse.

- According to Globo, Edinson Cavani's potential move to Botafogo has fallen through due to the Uruguayan striker's wage demands. Battling injury, Cavani's playing time at Manchester United has failed to see continuity under Ralf Rangnick.

- Nicolo Schira is reporting Milan are getting closer to signing Divock Origi from Liverpool, in order to bolster their stocks up front. Origi's representatives and Milan have met and are looking to progress discussions.

- The Mirror is reporting Lord Sebastian Coe is joining a consortium for the potential takeover of Chelsea, after Roman Abramovich's assets were frozen by the United Kingdom government.

Harry Kane becoming the leading Premier League scorer of away goals has been hailed an “outstanding achievement” by Tottenham boss Antonio Conte.

The England captain surpassed Wayne Rooney by netting for the 95th time away from home in the English top-flight during Spurs’ 2-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion.

After Cristian Romero gave the visitors the lead at the Amex Stadium, Kane sealed the point onto Rodrigo Bentancur’s throughball before slotting past Robert Sanchez.

Despite enduring a slow start to the campaign, the striker took his goal tally to 22 across all competitions, and Conte heaped praise on the 28-year-old.

"It is an outstanding achievement for him, but we are talking about a world-class striker," the head coach said. 

"I am pleased for Harry to score in this way because at the start of the season, he struggled a bit and didn't score a lot and now he knows very well with this team, he has great opportunities to score in every game.

"To have a striker like him makes us stronger but at the same time, his feeling now is positive because he knows he will have chances."

Victory at the Amex moved Tottenham to within three points of fourth-placed Arsenal with 10 games remaining.

And Conte was thrilled by the efforts of his players, who recorded a first away win over Brighton since September 2018.

"I am very pleased for a good performance and because we got three points," the Italian continued.

"It is the final part of the season, and it is vital to get three points. We want to stay very close to the top to see what will happen at the end of the season.

"In my opinion, we are playing very well and improving a lot with the ball and also tonight, we also showed solidity defensively."

Kane added: "I was really pleased to get the goal and help the team win the match. Milestones are great especially away from home. 

"It is always tough, so to know you can do it year-on-year against tough opposition is nice, but it is all about the team and working hard. 

"We got ahead in the game, and then I think we controlled it. Overall, it was a really good night away from home.

"We played good football; we just have to keep winning games."

Giorgio Chiellini credited Antonio Conte for changing Juventus' vision of football, which enabled them to dominate Italian football for much of the past decade.

Current Tottenham head coach Conte was placed in charge of the Bianconeri in 2011, following a successful career in Turin that saw captain the Juve team that lifted the 1995-96 Champions League.

The Italian boss also lifted the Serie A title five times during his playing days, and had no struggles carrying that winning mentality into management.

Conte guided Juve to their 28th Scudetto in his first season in charge, during the 2011-12 campaign, before defending the title for two straight terms - also setting the Serie A points record with 102 in 2013-14.

Veteran Chiellini is the only Juve player that played a part in all nine Scudetto triumphs between 2011 and 2019, and he believes Conte should take the credit for the Bianconeri's prolonged success.

"Conte was the first one to change, he changed our vision of football," he told Amazon Prime Video in an interview with former team-mate Claudio Marchisio.

"Before he came here I'd never thought about building from the back or making a through pass.

"Some teams tend to do that more and I think that balance is needed but in modern football, you must have control of the game and the ball. It's more and more important and it's crucial to be complete."

 

Chiellini remains a feature in Massimiliano Allegri's current Juve side, who host Villarreal in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 clash on Wednesday.

Allegri's men are also just seven points adrift of leaders Inter in Serie A, and Chiellini is glad to see Juve turn their form around after an underwhelming start to this season.

"He is still the same, he hasn't changed," Chiellini said about Allegri. "Perhaps, he expected to find a group similar to the one he had left.

"We had changed a lot, many players left, we are younger. From November we've seen his Juventus. A solid team with their own identity.

"Dusan Vlahovic has brought enthusiasm to everyone, players, staff and fans. He shifts the balance, we missed a player with his characteristics.

"We hadn't had a centre forward like that since Mario Mandzukic's time. We had [Gonzalo] Higuain who was a fantastic player, but was slightly different.

"We had to adapt other strikers to that role. Alvaro [Morata] prefers playing with another striker and the same is true of Paulo [Dybala] and Cristiano [Ronaldo]. Now we have a new No.9 even if he has the No.7 on his shoulder. He wants to improve and become the No.1."

The 37-year-old Chiellini played an integral role in Italy's Euro 2020 success as he showed no signs of slowing up, and he hopes to make it to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar before hanging up his boots.

"I've already gone beyond what I thought, especially after my knee injury [in 2020]," he continued. 

"I could have finished last season but I wanted to continue and I live day by day. I dream of the World Cup and hopefully, we can qualify and enjoy it, then we'll see.

"I want to end my career in a decent way. This [Juventus] is my home and I don't want to become a burden.

"On paper, I'd like to become a director rather than a coach, but football is full of surprises and I'll understand with time."

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