Conte’s raw emotion on night of pain
Tottenham hang tough to win in fitting tribute to beloved late coach Ventrone
FOR Antonio Conte and Tottenham the emotions were painfully raw and impossible to contain at times as they ended a difficult week by fighting their way to a victory they dedicated to their lost fitness guru.
Harry Kane scored the only goal of the game at Brighton, a glancing header in the first half, and pointed to the sky in subdued celebration, in memory of Gian Piero Ventrone, who died suddenly last week at the age of 61.
Ventrone was on everyone’s minds at the Amex Stadium. Conte was distraught during the minute’s applause for his friend before kick-off, as Italian flags fluttered in the away end and Tottenham’s team manager Allan Dixon held a white Spurs shirt with ‘Gian Piero’ printed on the back.
There were more tears after the game as the tension washed away. Kane welled up during a post-match interview and Conte rubbed at his eyes as his backroom staff embraced and consoled him.
‘We 100 per cent knew we had to perform today and that was because of Gian Piero,’ said Spurs wingback Ryan Sessegnon.
The man dubbed ‘The Marine’ during his days at Juventus would have been proud of their spirit and resilience as they survived late pressure and returned to winning ways after defeat at Arsenal and a goalless draw in Frankfurt.
Three points keep them in touch with leaders Manchester City after nine games.
Conte gave his formation a little shake, with Richarlison dropping to the bench to accommodate a third central midfielder, and it was Yves Bissouma starting his first Premier League game for his new club against the team he left in the summer.
Bissouma did not enjoy the warmest return. When he collected a yellow card on the half-hour for a poor tackle, late and high on Alexis Mac Allister, the home crowd chanted that he be sent off, and he was booed off when substituted later.
With Matt Doherty and Sessegnon preferred as wing-backs and Ben Davies recalled to the back three after injury, there were four changes to the team that started in Germany, and they opened at a good tempo, and with more purpose than in recent weeks.
Son Heung-min forced Robert Sanchez to make an early save with a swerving free-kick, and then lashed another effort over. In between, Conte’s wing-backs combined to good effect, Doherty arriving late to meet a Sessegnon cross with a side-foot volley which flashed into the turf and over.
Kane was booked for handball as he chased a pass into the penalty area and Sanchez pushed a crisp effort wide from Rodrigo Bentancur, venturing further forward than usual with the added security
of Bissouma in midfield. Tottenham found the breakthrough from the corner. Brighton cleared Son’s initial set-piece but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg collected the loose ball and returned it to Son, who evaded a flimsy challenge by Leandro Trossard and picked out Kane six yards out.
Stooping and twisting, Kane guided a header skilfully into the net. It was his eighth in nine Premier League games, equalling his best start at this stage of the season, and he celebrated by pointing his two index fingers towards the sky in memory of Ventrone.
Brighton stirred. Until then, in Roberto De Zerbi’s first home game in charge, they had been limited to a couple of brisk attacking moves and a Danny Welbeck shot, flashed low across goal and wide from an angle. They finished the first half with an excellent spell of pressure, however, and a cluster of chances. Hugo Lloris made saves to deny Moises Caceido and Welbeck, and Solly March fizzed a shot wide from just outside the area.
Lewis Dunk also went close, climbing high on six yards to meet a corner and connect with a powerful header. It was only a couple of inches too high.
Spurs survived until the interval with their slender lead intact and returned as if prepared to defend deep in numbers and spring out on the counter. Brighton continued to press forward.
It is a measure of their progress under Graham Potter that they expect to compete with teams such as Tottenham. In De Zerbi’s first game, they scored three at Liverpool and claimed a point.
Here, they were not about to accept defeat easily, but Conte’s team can be dangerous when ahead against a team taking risks. It made for an absorbing second half.
Tottenham resisted and broke menacingly without finding the final pass or a finish. Kane seemed certain to score his second when he rolled clear of Dunk onto his right foot, only to drag the shot wide.
Lloris was required to leave his goal and make a brave save at the feet of substitute Kaoru Mitoma. Son produced a marvellous finish from 25 yards only to find the flag up for offside against him.
In the end one goal was enough. ‘A difficult win to say the least,’ said Kane. ‘So it was nice to get it.’
● JOHN DUNCAN, the former Spurs striker who went on to guide Chesterfield to the FA Cup semifinals in 1997, has died aged 73.
Duncan scored 53 goals in 103 games in four seasons at White Hart Lane and also played for Dundee and Derby.
He was best remembered as the manager who led third-tier Chesterfield to the FA Cup semis in 1997, where they lost in a replay to Middlesbrough.
Alex Ferguson said: ‘That really was a fantastic achievement. John had such humility and a great sense of humour. I will miss him.’