This archive report was first published on 5 November 2021.
November 4, 2021 marked the beginning of a new era for Tottenham Hotspur as Italian manager Antonio Conte took charge of the team in their Europa Conference League match against Vitesse Arnhem.
Conte's first game in charge ended in a 3-2 home victory, with the team tearing into a 3-0 lead after 28 minutes thanks to goals from Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura, as well as an own goal.
However, Vitesse scored twice in seven minutes before halftime, and the match became a frantic tie with three red cards and crowd trouble amongst the visiting supporters.
Defender Cristian Romero saw red for Tottenham on the hour, while visiting defender Danilho Doekhi and goalkeeper Markus Schubert were later sent off for the Dutch side.
Despite the challenges, Spurs held on for the three points, which boosted their hopes of making progress in Europe's third-tier club competition.
"It was a crazy game. Usually I don't like this type of game -- a crazy game means anything can happen. But at the same time I think we should win and we won," Conte said.
Conte, who turned down Tottenham's offer in the close season, was given a warm reception by the crowd, and the team's performance showed promise despite some failings that ended the previous manager's reign.
However, Conte will have plenty to ponder ahead of this Sunday's league trip to Everton, and he acknowledged that the team needs to improve in various aspects, including tactics and physical fitness.
