Pochettino plays down Spurs' title chances before Swansea clash

Chelsea saw their lead trimmed to seven points after falling to a shock 2-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace on Saturday, while second-placed Spurs beat Burnley 2-0 away to breathe life back into the title race.

Pochettino plays down Spurs' title chances before Swansea clash

(Reuters)





Pochettino, however, said there was still a "massive difference" between the teams and insisted that Tottenham's main target was to improve on last season's third-placed finish.

"Nothing is impossible – that is our idea and our philosophy. We need to keep going in that direction. It is tough to compete and win every game in the Premier League," Pochettino told a news conference on Monday.

"We reduced the gap to Chelsea by three points but it is still a big gap. Seven points is a massive difference. For us it's about being focussed and trying to improve on last season in terms of numbers."

Tottenham visit relegation-threatened Swansea City on Wednesday, while Chelsea's lead could be cut further after they host fourth-placed Manchester City, but Pochettino said there was no pressure on the league leaders.

"Our challenge is to be consistent but there is still a big gap to Chelsea and a lot of work to do," he said.

"So many of their players have the experience of how to manage pressure. They can win or lose but it is not a question of putting pressure on them. We are fighting to keep our position in the table – second – and then see what happens.

"We will keep to our philosophy and if we assess the season it is fantastic, very good," he said. It is a reality that we are there, second in the table. Now in the last period of the season we must focus, give our best and fight to the end."

The Argentine will still be without striker Harry Kane, fullback Danny Rose and midfielder Erik Lamela for the trip to Swansea, while youngster Harry Winks could be out for the season after injuring his ankle at Burnley.

The 21-year-old left the field on a stretcher, and Pochettino said it "will be difficult for him to play again this season".

Midfielder Victor Wanyama injured his back in the Burnley game and faces a late fitness test to see if he will be available for Wednesday.





(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; editing by Mark Heinrich)


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world