Antonio Conte takes his Tottenham team to Middlesbrough on Tuesday seeking to extend his remarkable record in the FA Cup – he has lost only once in 15 matches and has never failed to reach the final, a feat Spurs last managed more than three decades ago – but with his confidence deflated by the quality on display on Sunday in the Carabao Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool. That match persuaded the Italian that winning domestic silverware in England has become even harder than doing so in Europe.
“I was lucky to reach the final two years in a row and I’d like to keep up this tradition,” Conte said. “But this trophy is not easy. Tomorrow we have to face Middlesbrough, a tough game. You know very well tThey eliminated Manchester United from this competition.
