Antonio Conte must avoid Arsenal repeat as Tottenham…

Antonio Conte must avoid Arsenal repeat as Tottenham handed unique challenge in Man Utd battle

Antonio Conte will be looking for a fast start from his Tottenham team on Boxing Day in their first Premier League game after the World Cup. Travelling across the capital to take on Brentford, Spurs will need to be at their best with Thomas Frank's team faring well on home soil so far this campaign.

Only managing a point at Brentford Community Stadium back in April following a 0-0 draw, three points this time around would be the ideal way to start the second half of the season given the fierce competition for a top-four spot. The challenge Conte and his coaching staff have on their hands is ensuring the team are quick out of the traps just over six weeks on from their last Premier League fixture.

Returning to Hotspur Way for training at the end of November, those not involved in World Cup action have taken part in two friendlies at their training base so far. Following a convincing 4-0 win over Motherwell last Friday, Spurs followed that victory up with a 3-1 triumph over Peterborough United Under-21s.

Their preparations will go up another level next Wednesday evening with Ligue 1 side Nice making the trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Whereas some Premier League clubs will have had the vast majority of their squad to work with over the past month or so, many, including Tottenham, have had a shortage of first-team stars with a number of them jetting off to Qatar and then coming back at different stages.

Going to be slightly different returning to league action this time around compared to after a two-week international break during the season, Conte will be hoping that his team can react how they usually do after a mid-season pause. Appointed as Tottenham boss 13 months ago, the Italian had two games in quick succession against Vitesse Arnhem and Everton before club football stopped for international action.

Having a good opportunity to work closely with those not representing their respective countries, Tottenham secured a 2-1 win over Leeds United in the first game back after the break. Although there was no international action the following month, Spurs went two weeks without a game after a Covid outbreak put pay to their fixtures against Rennes, Brighton & Hove Albion and Leicester City.

Not the ideal circumstances to go into a showdown against Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, the Lilywhites managed to register a point following an entertaining 2-2 draw in N17. Tottenham once again reacted well following the first international break of 2022 back in March.

Previously struggling to seal back-to-back wins which impacted their Champions League aspirations, Spurs sent out a real warning to their rivals with a 5-1 drubbing of Newcastle United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the beginning of April. Their good form under Conte after breaks in play didn't carry on in October, however, as they fell to such a disappointing 3-1 defeat against Arsenal in the north London derby.

Now it's going to be about how they react to the latest break when they travel to Brentford on Boxing Day. An unprecedented time in the football calendar with the first ever winter World Cup taking place, clubs all across the globe are going to face many challenges upon the return of domestic football.

Tottenham ideally must make a fast start with Manchester United breathing down their neck and Liverpool's form starting to pick up. Key to that will be avoiding a repeat of that nightmare afternoon at the Emirates Stadium and instead replicating what they did after a short break last campaign.

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