Antonio Conte has hit back at Mikel Arteta after the Arsenal boss revealed he was concerned about the schedule his team are set to endure over the coming weeks.
The Gunners were beaten by Liverpool in midweek and have been given just three days to recover ahead of Saturday’s trip to Aston Villa.
Arteta’s side will also face tight turnaround in between potentially key games against Chelsea and Manchester United next month, while the Spaniard revealed he was ‘concerned’ as to when the Premier League would schedule the north London derby.
That fixture was postponed earlier this campaign, despite Arsenal’s squad affected by just one case of coronavirus at the time. Arteta faced huge criticism at the time, not least from Spurs who released a scathing statement criticising them.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s match, Arteta doubled down on his criticism of the fixture compilers, saying: ‘Yes (I am concerned), because I don’t know and we are not going to be deciding and it’s going to be very important.
‘That’s nothing to do with me. The club has to arrange those conversations.’
However, Spurs manager Conte has now dismissed those fears, reminding Arteta that it was the Gunners that requested the derby be called off in the first place.
‘I only want Arteta to remember the game postponed – Tottenham-Arsenal – if we speak about unfair,’ Conte said.
‘In general, I think my answer is enough. If someone wants to think about fair or unfair. We postponed the game, Tottenham-Arsenal if you remember. I don’t forget this. And it’s not right to speak about fair or unfair.’
