It was a game of two halves as Chelsea hosted Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. After a scrappy 1-0 win against Everton, the Blues were expected to face a stern test against a high-flying Spurs side who arrived at the Bridge on the back of a resounding 4-1 against Southampton.
Following a dull first half where the clearest opportunity from either side came through a brilliant Kalidou Koulibaly volley that sent Chelsea ahead, football fans would have been expecting both sides to step it up in the second period. Surely enough, the second half proved to be a frantic period that saw Spurs equalise twice to earn a 2-2 draw.
While the overwhelming feeling was for the tempo to pick up on the pitch, a rousing change took place even on the touchline as both head coaches Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte were spotted squaring up to one another.
The heated reactions from the managers came after Spurs’ first equaliser from Hojbjerg which Tuchel felt should not have stood following a foul on Kai Havertz in the build-up to the goal.
Even after the two coaches went back to their respective dugouts, tempers boiled over once again at full-time which culminated in Tuchel and Conte receiving their marching orders from the referee Anthony Taylor.
Thanks to the pyrotechnics from the coaches, the big story from Sunday was not Harry Kane’s stoppage-time equaliser rather it was more about who would win in a fight between the German and the Italian.
The odds theorized by supporters suggest that it would be difficult to predict a clear winner as both managers showed on the pitch that they would not be one to shy away from a fight.
But it looks like the former PSG coach has been backed to take the win as professional boxer and social media influencer Jake Paul revealed his pick for the battle of the gaffers.
The American social media personality has in the past proven to be a follower of the beautiful game and has revealed himself to be a Liverpool supporter after taking to social media channels on several occasions to show his love for the Merseyside club.
After becoming a professional boxer back in 2019, Paul has amassed a 5-0-win record which also includes four knockouts. The 25-year-old fought other influencers, ex-sportsmen and even a former UFC champion over the years.
Given his prowess in the ring perhaps Paul’s backing of Tuchel in the managerial brawl is striking. As per the boxer, the lack of eye contact provided by Conte at full-time seemed to suggest fear and hence, Tuchel became the obvious pick for Paul.
Furthermore, the American also added that he believes the much taller and imposing Tuchel would in fact knock out the Italian coach and that Paul would surely love to see that happen in a ring.
After the clash between the coaches on Sunday surely not just Jake Paul but the entire footballing community would be willing to pay big bucks to see Tuchel vs Conte as a prime-time boxing event.