Conte: Arsenal must handle title pressure

ANTONIO CONTE turned the heat on Arsenal ahead of tomorrow’s north London derby, hailing them as the Premier League’s best team and title favourites. The Tottenham boss went on to claim only Manchester City could catch them and warned opposite number Mikel Arteta that tougher tests lie ahead as they try to handle the pressure and expectation of being top. ‘When you are top of the league, the perception of your opponents changes,’ said Conte, who led Chelsea to the title in 2017.

‘You are the best team and everybody wants to try to beat you. For sure, Arsenal have to face the situation of being favourites because they are top of the table. They have to show they are good enough to face this situation.

‘They have a great opportunity, working for many years on a project. They have sent a lot of players out, brought a lot in and they have spent money to do it and are doing well. ‘Now, they have to show they can stay there until the end because I’m sure Manchester

City don’t agree, and will feel the real possibility to win again. I think it is a battle between Arsenal and City.’ There are signs of increased pressure taking its toll on Arteta’s team, hit with two FA charges for failing to control players in confrontations with the officials in recent games against Newcastle and Oxford. ‘To intimidate or to create a bad atmosphere is not fair. I don’t like this,’ said Conte. ‘I hate the people that try to do it.’