Mountain to climb: Tottenham have conceded the first goal in their last 9 games
(Picture: Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)Antonio Conte has urged Tottenham to sharpen their mental focus to end a nine-game run of conceding the first goal.
Spurs will host Aston Villa in Premier League action on New Year’s Day, bidding to start 2023 with a tighter defensive display.
And boss Conte has accepted the unusual nature of that unwanted sequence of falling behind that has beset Spurs’ recent results.
“For sure it’s strange, it’s a strange situation, to concede the first goal, to go down for nine games in a row, is very strange,” said Conte.
“And at the same time, it’s good, our reaction, and then to try to get the result, many times we do well to win the game.
“But for sure we have to try from the start of the game, be really focused, to go into the game quickly.
“And also, I think to pay more attention defensively, not concede a chance to our opponent to score first.
“But we spoke with the players, and maybe when you go to have only to play many games in a row, and you don’t have the possibility to work on the tactical aspect, the defensive aspect, I think that you can lose something.
“But for sure it’s our intention to try to avoid going one-nil, two-nil down and to start the game in the best possible way.”
Clement Lenglet showed his attacking qualities with two telling crosses as Spurs battled back from 2-0 down to scramble a 2-2 draw at Brentford on Boxing Day.
Conte admitted being surprised by the Barcelona loanee’s unstinting attitude, but refused to be drawn on whether the 27-year-old could stay at Spurs beyond the summer.
“Clement is a really good player, don’t forget that we are talking someone who played five years in Barcelona,” said Conte.
“When you play for many years in this type of club, with great history, great importance, it means that you are a good player.
“I think about him he needed to put himself in a new challenge.
“And when I spoke with him in the summer I was very clear with him, if you decide to play you have to come with us, you will play, a really good player good personality, technically and good choices in the game.
“I can tell you that he was a big surprise for me in a positive way for his attitude, commitment, behaviour.
“He’s always 120 per cent during the training sessions, if he starts or if he knows he’s not going to start.”
Asked whether Lenglet could stay on beyond the summer, Conte added: “I don’t know the situation about his contract.
“I can make an evaluation about what I see in training and on the pitch, then I can give my opinion to the club. But you know, the club has the last decision.”
