Conte vents anger as Pedro dismissal triggers equaliser
Manager also criticises rejected penalty claim Italian says £58m striker Morata ‘short of fitness’
An “angry” Antonio Conte said he could have argued with the referee long into the night after his Chelsea side were denied a penalty and reduced to 10 men in their Community Shield defeat by Arsenal.
Chelsea winger Pedro was shown a straight red card by referee Bobby Madley for a raking challenge on Mohamed Elneny, with Arsenal’s Sead Kolasinac scoring moments later from the resulting free-kick.
Pedro’s dismissal followed a red card for Chelsea’s Victor Moses in the FA Cup final, against Arsenal at Wembley also, at the end of last season, with Conte complaining that it was the second controversial decision to have gone against his side in two high-profile matches.
Chelsea were also denied a penalty after Willian was judged to have dived in the box, although replays later showed there was contact with Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin.
“For sure, there is disappointment to finish for the second time with 10 men against Arsenal,” Conte said. “Before, the FA Cup, and now the Community Shield.
“I did not see the images [for the Pedro red card] and I did not see the yellow card for Willian. A lot of people told me the penalty was clear, so for sure there is a bit of frustration. We have to respect the refereeing decision but sometimes this decision makes you a bit angry.”
Conte was involved in a furious discussion with Madley on the sidelines after Pedro’s red card.
“He [Madley] tried to explain to me about his decision but there was not time because I also wanted to ask him why there wasn’t a penalty and the yellow card for Willian,” Conte said. “But then we would have spoken until 9 o’clock.”
Kolasinac’s header took the game to a penalty shootout, in which Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and new striker Alvaro Morata both missed the target.
Asked why Courtois was chosen as his side’s second penalty taker, Conte said the goalkeeper is “one of the best” in training.
“If there is a player that shows you in the training session to be one of the best, you pick him,” Conte said. “Do not forget also that Morata is a forward and he did the same.”
Morata’s missed penalty was hardly the ideal start to the former Real Madrid striker’s Chelsea career following his £58 million transfer last month, but Conte said the 24-year-old was still short of fitness.
“Morata needs to work but it is normal,” Conte said. “He has trained with us for only one week. It is very important to find a good physical condition and understand our idea of football. He needs a bit of time, but it is normal.” Conte added that the match was a “tough” game for both sides and he had wanted to use it to improve his team’s fitness ahead of the start of the league campaign on Saturday, when they face Burnley at Stamford Bridge. “In six days we have to start the league,” he said. “But now the most important thing is to continue to work and try to improve the team.”