Think Pierluigi Gollini deserved this chance to play important game, asserts Antonio Conte
Pierluigi Gollini has made 10 appearances for Tottenham
|In light of Pierluigi Gollini’s performance, Antonio Conte has backed the keeper and admitted that it was the right move for the 26-year-old to play against Chelsea. The Italian was at fault when Antonio Rudiger nodded home the only goal in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.
While Pierluigi Gollini signed for Tottenham on loan in the summer of 2021, the Italian goalkeeper has struggled to replace Hugo Lloris as the club’s first choice. However, the 26-year-old has played for the club this season in various competitions although Gollini is yet to feature in the Premier League for the North Londoners. But with a big semi-final against Chelsea, it saw Antonio Conte keep faith in the back-up and it didn’t pay off in the end.
The 26-year-old was at fault for Antonio Rudiger’s lone goal in the second-leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final and it saw many criticize the Spurs boss for not sticking with Hugo Lloris. However, Conte defended his decision as he admitted that it’s key to give players game-time and that Gollini has shown to be a reliable presence. Conte also added that he believed the 26-year-old deserved the chance to feature against Chelsea and believes he played well.
“Before my arrival at Tottenham, Pierluigi has always played in Carabao and the Conference League. I think when you’re in a team like Tottenham, it’s important to give chances to the keeper because Pierluigi has shown to be reliable. Then we have to play three games in seven days against Arsenal, Leicester and Chelsea again,” Conte said, reported the Guardian.
“I think he deserved this chance to play an important game. In this moment we cannot compare Chelsea with Tottenham. I think that Gollini played a good game. In the first game we lost 2-0, today we lost only 1-0. I think that we have to try to think about situations that are much more important than this. Believe me.”
