Tottenham not far behind last season’s accolades

Tottenham Hotspur has not deteriorated compared to last season, manager Mauricio Pochettino said as he backed his team to come back stronger from its current poor run in the Premier League.

Spurs are sixth in the table, 18 points adrift of league leader Manchester City after losing four of their 15 games this season, the same as the entire last campaign when they finished second, and are winless in their last four matches.

Despite their poor domestic form, Tottenham has improved on last season’s Champions League showing, progressing to the knockout stages as its group winner, and Pochettino believes City’s form rather than Spurs’ decline had opened the gap between them.

“We have maybe three points less than this time last season, and we’ve finished top of our Champions League group,” Pochettino told British media.

“Manchester City has created a gap, but I’m sure the team will improve and take many lessons from this run.”

Jan Vertonghen, Eric Dier and Juan Foyth are the north London side’s only options for central defense when it hosts Stoke City next weekend after fellow center-back Davinson Sanchez was sent off in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Watford.

Defender Toby Alderweireld also said that he had no fixed return date from a hamstring injury sustained in last month’s home Champions League win over Real Madrid as he awaits a scan in two weeks’ time to assess the damage.

“I have a serious muscle tear. There’s a big chance of recurrence,” Alderweireld told Belgian media. “If the muscle tears off completely, for instance, I would need surgery and it’ll take 14 weeks to recover.

“In two weeks there’s a scan to see how it goes. I can only try to be on the pitch as fast as possible.”

Tottenham hosts APOEL Nicosia in its final Champions League group game on Wednesday before hosting 13th-placed Stoke on Saturday.

Spartak warn fans ahead of Liverpool clash

Spartak Moscow has cautioned its fans to refrain from violence when they travels to support the club in a crucial Champions League encounter against Liverpool on Wednesday.

The Russian champion is hoping to avoid further UEFA sanctions after being punished for the behavior of its fans earlier in the campaign.

“Do not give in to provocations and don’t get involved in conflicts with locals,” Spartak said in a statement on Monday.

UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Spartak last month after fans set off fireworks during a 1-1 draw against Maribor in Moscow.

The team was then fined 33,000 euros ($39,168) after fans displayed illicit banners, set off fireworks and blocked stairways