Chelsea boss Antonio Conte doesn't think FA Cup final will be Arsene Wenger's last game in charge of Arsenal
Arsenal have endured a difficult season and despite a late rally failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in Wenger's 21-year tenure
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Antonio Conte doesn't believe the FA Cup final will be Arsene Wenger's last in charge at Arsenal and is wary of the threat the Gunners will pose at Wembley.
Arsenal have endured a difficult season and despite a late rally failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in Wenger's 21-year tenure.
FA Cup success on Saturday, a seventh for the Frenchman, could yet see him stay on despite increased calls from critics and supporters alike for him to walk away.
But opposite number Conte, who can secure the league and cup double with victory, believes Wenger has done enough to continue in his job.
"I know very well the history of Arsenal in the FA Cup, also with Arsene. They won a lot of trophies in this tournament. I never won this trophy. I think, for this reason, tomorrow could be a good possibility for me, for my team, to try and lift the trophy," he said.
"But, for sure, I don't trust that tomorrow will be the last game for Arsene. I think he deserves to work with Arsenal because he showed, in these 20 years, he is a good manager. He did a good job. Only this season they missed out on the Champions League. In England, this target, sometimes you can undervalue this.
"But now, the Champions League is a good target. Arsenal played in it for 19 years in a row, in this competition. That shows his work is very good. He won titles with his team. But, I repeat, modern football... we have to pay great attention."
Chelsea celebrated their Premier League win less than a week ago but Conte has called on his players to keep their focus and treat the final game of the season as a one-off.
"In this moment it's very important to keep the right concentration," he added. "I think that, in this aspect, we could start as underdogs because we won the league. We won the league and we celebrated the league. It was right to enjoy the moment, to celebrate the league.
"Instead, on the other side, we face a team who lost out on the possibility to play in the Champions League next season and they have only this possibility to save their season. We must pay great attention and focus. It's right to show great desire. But, on this aspect, I trust a lot my players.
"They show me they will keep always the right concentration and will be ready to reach a big target, to win the league. For sure, tomorrow, it'll be a tough game for both teams but we are ready to fight, ready to play a good game and try to win the trophy."
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