Antonio Conte stood by his decision to select Pierluigi Gollini in goal for Tottenham’s Carabao Cup semi-final defeat against Chelsea.
The ex-Chelsea boss opted for Gollini rather than club captain Hugo Lloris, who played in the first leg.
Antonio Rudiger’s goal in the second leg sealed a place in the final for the Blues, who won 1-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate.
Gollini was at fault for the goal, failing to clear Mason Mount’s left-wing corner, enabling the defender to touch the ball in.
However, Conte was unrepentant at his post-match press conference- and insisted he was happy with the stand-in keeper’s overall performance.
“Before my arrival, Pierluigi played in the Carabao Cup and also the (Europa) Conference League,” Conte said.
“I think when you are in a team like Tottenham it’s important to give chances to the keeper, because the keeper has been shown to be reliable.
“We have to play three games in seven days, against Arsenal and Chelsea again.
“I think he deserved this chance and to play in an important game. I made this decision and I think he played a good game.
“In the first game we lost 2-0. Today we lost only 1-0.”