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Mauricio Pochettino aims dig at Antonio Conte: He did not do this
CHELSEA boss Antonio Conte did not bring the three-man defence to the Premier League, according to Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea did not bring three-man defence to Premier League
Antonio Conte arrived at Chelsea last summer and has guided the Blues to 10 points clear at the top of the Premier League.
The Italian's success at Stamford Bridge has mainly been attributed to his 3-4-3 formation, which he implemented at the start of October.
Tottenham sit 10 points behind Chelsea in the Premier League table
But Mauricio Pochettino, whose Tottenham side sit second in the table, insists he has been using it over the past two seasons thanks to the versatility of Eric Dier.
“People say now Chelsea changed the system. No, we played always the three in possession,” said Pochettino.
“In the summer [2015], we were looking for a midfielder and we had plenty of options but I decided to play him in midfield. I created a system that he felt comfortable in.
Eric Dier's versatility allows Tottenham to play with a three-man defence
“[Dier] played as a midfielder without the ball, with the ball he was a third centre back.
"You can see in possession he dropped in between the centre-backs, or between the full back and the centre back. Always we play with three [centre-backs].”