Thomas Tuchel has responded to Antonio Conte’s comments about Chelsea’s being on a different level to his Tottenham Hotspur team.
The Blues have already faced Spurs twice in the semifinal of the Carabao Cup in January and won both legs quite comfortably.
After the second-leg defeat, Conte told Sky Sports that his team and Chelsea were “on two different levels in every aspect”.
Tuchel did not hide that he agreed with the Italian, but he also warned his team not to get carried away by the comments.
“You have to ask him. The last results and games, it was like this,” the German said in Friday’s pre-match press conference about Conte’s admission.
“We have to make sure that it [will be] a third time like this.
“Of course, we should not get confused by this comment about the last matches and the ambition which they will [come with].
“He [Conte] prepares his team to win and to beat us. That’s why it’s not so important what he said about the last games.”
Chelsea and Tottenham are direct rivals, says Tuchel
Chelsea, who only managed to win eight points in the last seven league games, are now practically fighting to keep their place in the top four.
Tottenham still sit fifth in the table, eight points behind third-placed Chelsea. But they also have four games in hand, which, as Tuchel also pointed out, makes them direct rivals with Chelsea in the top four race.
“It’s strange to see teams that compete for the same [spots] in the table [have played] four games [fewer],” Tuchel added.
“This can lead you to the wrong impression that you’re comfortably ahead, which you are not.
“So, we have to make sure that this [the gap] stays like this and [it is] the best chance to win a direct competition against direct rivals.”
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