Antonio Conte hailed Joao Pedro as a ‘truly important player’ for Chelsea after Napoli’s 3-2 defeat in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Enzo Fernandez’s penalty put Chelsea in front but Napoli were 2-1 ahead by half time with goals from Antonio Vergara and Rasmus Hojlund.
Cole Palmer replaced Pedro Neto at half time and he set up both of Joao Pedro’s goals to help secure Chelsea’s victory at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
The result means Napoli have failed finish in the Champions League play-off places, while Chelsea are through to the last-16 where they will play one of Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle United, Monaco, or Qarabag
When asked if Joao Pedro was the turning point in Chelsea’s win over Napoli, Conte told Sky Sport: ‘Absolutely.
‘Joao Pedro made the difference, he’s a truly important player for them.
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‘Qualitatively, they were better in the final third of the pitch. They didn’t have a ton of chances but that’s the point, when top clubs shoot, they hurt. We sent in a lot of crosses and created chances, but we need to improve our finishing.’
Conte also rued Napoli’s 1-1 draw away to FC Copenhagen earlier this month which meant Napoli needed to beat Chelsea in order to reach the Champions League play-offs.
‘I made it clear to the lads – the real disappointment is Copenhagen,’ Conte said.
‘That match practically doomed us, forcing us to risk our lives against a top club that won the World Cup and boasts extraordinary champions even in the stands.
‘I’m disappointed because I would have liked to continue competing against the best.’
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Paedophile nursery worker Vincent Chan has pleaded guilty to 26 new sexual offences, including upskirting in a classroom.
The 45-year-old molested girls aged three and four-years-old while working at Bright Horizons nursery in West Hampstead, north London.
He filmed himself carrying out the abuse during naptime.
He today pleaded guilty to ten counts of of taking indecent photographs of children, six charges of outraging public decency, sexual assault on a female, and nine counts of voyeurism.
This includes filming up the skirts of children as they sat at tables in a classroom, at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court heard.
Police also recovered images showing Chan exposing himself in a classroom in 2017, as well as videos, believed to be of Chan, depicting a solo sex act.
He was first arrested in June last year, after a member of staff reported that he had callously filmed a child falling asleep in their food and set it to music, before showing the clip to a colleague.
Chan, who passed an enhanced DBS check, was initially held on suspicion of neglect and released on bail, losing his job at the nursery, which has since closed.
Detectives seized dozens of digital devices from his home in Finchley revealed ‘substantial amounts’ of indecent images and videos of children – some of which depicted the most severe abuse.
A spokesperson for the nursery said: ‘We are shocked and appalled by this individual’s horrific crimes.
‘Our thoughts are first and foremost with the children and families affected, and we are committed to offering support to them during this incredibly difficult time.
‘Our organisation’s mission is to protect and nurture young children. We employ over 8,500 experienced colleagues in our nurseries who work tirelessly and with dedication every day to look after the children in our care.
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‘This individual’s actions represent not only a violation of the victims, but also a profound betrayal of the trust placed in him by families and colleagues.’
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