Rio Ferdinand believes the heated rivalry shown during Chelsea vs Tottenham on Sunday between Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte is what sets the Premier League apart from other leagues in Europe and the world.
The two London rivals played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as both now have won one and drawn one after two games played. Arsenal are currently two points ahead of both in the early season standings after their back-to-back wins against Crystal Palace and Leicester. Interestingly enough, both Tottenham and Chelsea have been backed by many pundits to be the ones to challenge Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the table this season.
Todd Boehly is looking to further boost Chelsea's chances of success in the market with a possible £350million transfer spend forecast, with at least three more players expected to sign before the September deadline.
READ MORE: Tactical notes, James chat – What Thomas Tuchel did during water breaks in Chelsea vs Tottenham
Regardless of what happens in the transfer market, however, one thing that will remain constant is the fierce rivalry that has been ignited between Conte and Tuchel. Certain refereeing decisions led to multiple bust-ups on the sidelines and during full-time, it all boiled over due to what will be remembered as an infamous handshake.
Both managers played it down in their post-match press conferences but there is certain to be some tension the next time the two meet in February 2023 in the Premier League.
Despite the FA having now charged Tuchel and Conte with "alleged improper behaviour" relating to their conduct after the game in west London, Ferdinand has come on record to not only offer his verdict of the game itself but to praise both Tuchel and Conte for making Sunday a spectacular encounter, not only on the pitch but off it too.
"How many times have we been on here and I’ve shouted 'where’s the passion? Where’s the hate? The dislike for the opponent? Where’s the subplots for games?'," Ferdinand questioned in his most recent Vibe with Five podcast. "You know now coming into these games when these two come up against each other that’s going to be the stories between these guys. I want it with players, but you take it with managers. The last we saw of this was, I don’t know, Fergie with Wenger or Fergie with Mourinho or whoever it was, Rafa.
"But this is the type of stuff that sets football apart, the Premier League apart, these subplots, these little rivalries that are built through desire to win. All the people that said… we got Ten Hag and I’m happy with Ten Hag don’t get me wrong, but the people that said Conte wasn’t for Man United need to shut up because this guy shows the passion, the desire, the will.
"He had the England captain and last season’s golden boot winner in a heap in pre-season on the sidelines, spewing up in pre-season, saying ‘if you want to play for me, you want to be apart of this team, you want to be apart of a winning culture? Then get on all fours and be sick for it because I’m going to work you to the bone to get you ready’.
"What he showed yesterday [Sunday], Chelsea were the better team, they were brilliant and they will be devastated. I saw Reece James’ comments, they’ll be devastated that they didn’t get a result, sucker-punch last-minute goal by Harry Kane.
"But what that showed me in a little piece of what you expect from a Conte team is fight, never say die spirit, the determination and the desire to get over the line and pull a result out. That result was the reflection of the manager, the character, the personality and what he’s instilling into this team and that will push them on to better than they’ve been last year definitely."
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