Everything Tottenham manager Antonio Conte did during his first league win as Spurs boss
Before this game, new Tottenham manager Antonio Conte had already got the feel of what it was like to play in front of the Spurs fans during the Europa Conference League but his first league game was always going to be a special.
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Hide AdAs the atmospheric music bounced around the stadium Conte stood straight face on the touchline before acknowledging the fans who resoundingly welcomed him to his new ground after the PA introduced him as the new boss.
Dressed sharply in his black suit and jumper he quickly said his prayer which was accompanied by making a cross sign before joining in to take the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement before kick off.
The jumper would quickly came off after just five minutes as he got into his famous animated mood of micro-directing and shouting every player into shape whenever Leeds got the ball.
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Hide AdWith Leeds United dominating early proceedings, he quickly signalled captain Harry Kane to the touchline to issue instructions before the England captain rushed back into position.
He then snapped into life again when defender Japhet Tanganga attempted a cross-field pass only to kick it directly to an opponent.
Having micro-managed every team he’s been at, Antonio Conte knows when his team is forcing passes or when a player is not standing in the right place and he never hesitated to point the right way for his players.
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Hide AdThen there was thumps up for Eric Dier after the defender anticipated a pass and cut it off before Leeds United could even attempt an attack.
After Daniel James struck Leeds in front, he stood motionless with his face slightly in his hands before urging his side to get the ball and get it forward.
He returned for the second half with his suit back on and stood there barking orders to his team whenever Leeds United had the ball or when he thought his team needed a lift.
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Hide AdHe jumped into life again shortly after he felt Son Heung-min had been fouled in the penalty box before calming down shortly to avoid being booked.
Moments later he would be celebrating and urging his team to get on with it after Pierre-Emile Højbjerg bundled home the equaliser.
There were moments of consultation and hesitation before he initiated his first substitution, bringing on Davinson Sánchez for Japhet Tanganga.
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Hide AdThere would be wild celebrations for the Italian again after left-back Sergio Reguilón tapped home to give Spurs a lead for the first time in the game. He went wild, jumping into the arms of Cristian Stellini, his able assistant.
He then had to be restrained by Stellini again after losing his cool with the fourth official following the middle referee’s refusal to award Tottenham a foul late on.
With just two minutes to 90 minutes, Conte noticed the stadium was quiet and he signalled furiously to the fans to give them a lift to get over the line and the fans responded resoundingly.
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Hide AdWhen Kane lost a ball after he was played in by Winks, Conte puffed his cheeks, held on for just a second before urging his team to get back in numbers.
As the Tottenham crowd grew in volume, so did Conte, looking animated and screaming down instruction to his players.
As the game headed towards the end, the Tottenham boss looked nervy. His side were leading but he knew it was just a goal and didn’t want to drop points.
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Hide AdBut as it has been throughout his impressive career, Antonio got his team across the line and got the win he wanted in his first home game as Tottenham manager in the Premier League.
His half-time team talk had paid off and the Tottenham fans applauded massively, showing their appreciation as Conte punched the air and hugged his players and assistants managers before going on the pitch to hug those who finished the game in white
Antonio’s touchline antics suggest that he’s passionate about the club and it will be interesting to see how far he can go from here.
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