Tottenham Hotspur may have faltered in their past two Premier League games to slip out of the top four but nothing can take away from the fact that Antonio Conte has done a remarkable job at the club since his appointment in November.
Spurs sacked Nuno Espirito Santo in November after just over three months in charge, as the Lilywhites languished in eighth position and were at risk of freefalling at such an early stage in the season.
But Conte has got them back in with a chance of a top four finish since he took over at the end of last year, and even the Italian has highlighted how far his team have come in that time.
When asked about Tottenham ’s lack of mental strength in Friday’s press conference, Conte said: “First of all, I want to underline that we're fighting for a target that, at the start of the season, no one could imagine. Especially in November because when I arrived the situation wasn't good - otherwise you wouldn't change the coach. So to arrive with five games to go with the possibility to get this result is a great achievement for us.
“So for this reason, we have to face the situation with great enthusiasm because we have nothing to lose and only to earn. We are doing something special for the situation we faced this season. I spoke with my players and it's the same with our fans, they have to continue to support us and push us until the end.
“We're living this dream. We have to continue until the end to get a place in the Champions League. It's right to underline that we are fighting for a target that wasn't in our mind at the start of the season. For this reason I want to push everybody at the club to have great enthusiasm, great passion, our fans to stay with us and to back us from the start until the end. If we reach this target, all the people in Tottenham have to be happy to reach this target and everybody has to be involved to meet this target.”
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As previously mentioned, Spurs have faltered of late following a defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion and a draw with Brentford in their last two games, which followed an impressive run of seven wins from nine fixtures that had propelled them up into fourth spot and opened up a three point gap over Arsenal.
But the Gunners have won their last two and re-established their position in the top four at the expense of Tottenham’s recent results, and now have their own two point gap over Conte’s side as we head into the final month of the campaign.
Both sides have just five games remaining of the season as they go neck-and-neck for the final Champions League spot, which includes a meeting between the two sides in their rescheduled north London derby on May 12.
It represents a complete change in fortunes for the club since Conte came in, who seems to have finally got his side to perform well under his preferred wing-back system in a 3-4-2-1 formation, while he has managed to get the best out of a number of individuals.
Two impressive signings in the form of Juventus pair Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski have added to the revival of the club, as both players have hit the ground running since signing in January, in which they have had a big impact on the team in different areas of the pitch.
Conte and his side now have five huge games to go as they hope to finish above Arsenal in the race for the top four, but whatever happens, it is clear just how much influence the Italian has had since taking over in November, and there is much to take hope from ahead of next season.
