Martin Keown says Spurs ‘should have kept’ Antonio Conte (Picture: Getty/talkSPORT)
Arsenal legend Martin Keown believes the Gunners ‘played a part’ in Tottenham sacking head coach Antonio Conte on Sunday.
Conte lasted just 16 months having arrived at Spurs in November 2021 and was dismissed after unleashing an extraordinary rant and a terrible run of results.
This month, Tottenham crashed out of the FA Cup to Championship side Sheffield United, were dumped out of the Champions League by AC Milan and in the Premier League they blew a two-goal lead against bottom-club Southampton.
In the aftermath of the 3-3 draw at St Mary’s, Conte hit out at the club, aiming a dig at Daniel Levy over Spurs’ lack of trophies and labelled players ‘selfish’.
Keown, though, feels the success of Tottenham’s north London rivals Arsenal this season also played a part in Spurs’ decision to part ways with the Italian.
The Gunners are currently top of the Premier League table, 20 points clear of fourth-placed Tottenham with 10 games left.
Asked about Spurs’ call to sack Conte, Keown told talkSPORT: ‘I think they should have kept him until the end of the season, no doubt.’
Quizzed if he was saying that as an Arsenal Invincible, Keown added: ‘No – but now that you mention it – I think Arsenal have played a part.
‘The fact that Arsenal are 20 points clear of Spurs and this time last year they were both in the run-in for the top-four places puts Spurs under enormous pressure.
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‘But it’s what happened in March. Going out of the FA Cup, what happened against AC Milan, the 3-3 game against Southampton… March was miserable for them.
‘[Conte] knew he was going. He wanted to say, and needed to say, what was wrong at that football club and they need to take stock of that.’
Tottenham have not won a major trophy since 2008 when they lifted the League Cup.
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‘They should have kept him!’