Spurs keep pressure on Blues
LONDON: Mauricio Pochettino claimed Tottenham’s gritty 1-0 win at Crystal Palace showed they were ready to pounce if Chelsea stumble in the title race.
Pochettino’s side closed the gap on leaders Chelsea to four points with five games left after Christian Eriksen’s late strike clinched a victory that looked unlikely for long periods at Selhurst Park on Wednesday.
Well below their best as they struggled to shake off the frustration of last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final loss to Chelsea, it seemed Tottenham were about to squander a chance to keep pace with Chelsea before finally recovering their composure.
It was exactly the kind of pressurepacked situation that was Tottenham’s downfall last season when they allowed Leicester to wrap up the title after briefly threatening to overhaul them.
But Pochettino is convinced the way his team saw off a formidable Palace outfit bodes well for their chances of being crowned champions for the first time since 1961.
“We showed great character and personality after a very disappointing weekend,” Pochettino said. “It was important to show we are focused and try to fight.
“We are showing we learnt a lot from last season. We were fantastic last season and it was a big challenge to improve again.
“A big part of that was the mental attitude, we improved that a lot. We are showing we are ready to fight.”
Tottenham’s eighth successive league win was the perfect response after Chelsea had opened up a seven-point lead with a victory against Southampton 24 hours earlier.
Tottenham will be guaranteed to finish above Arsenal for the first time in 22 years if they beat their bitter rivals on Sunday.
Palace are virtually safe despite the defeat, but Mamadou Sakho, on loan from Liverpool, faces an anxious wait to see if his season is over after he was carried off with a serious-looking knee injury.
Meanwhile Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his side know exactly what they must do in the Champions League qualification race after watching them gain a 1-0 win over Leicester City.
With time slipping away at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, Wenger threw on Danny Welbeck and Olivier Giroud to finish with four strikers on the pitch.
His side eventually prevailed courtesy of a late own goal by Robert Huth.
Arsenal remain outside the Champions League places, but Wenger said: “We have one advantage — the advantage of clarity.
“We have to win our games, so that’s why we cannot be happy with a 0-0.
“We absolutely have to take a gamble to try and win the game at any cost. We took the initiative tonight.”
Marten de Roon’s early strike earned Middlesbrough a 1-0 win over basement club Sunderland that kept their faint hopes of survival flickering.
The Dutch midfielder scored for the second time in four appearances to earn Boro their first win in 17 games, since a 3-0 victory over Swansea City on Dec 17.
It took Steve Agnew’s side to within six points of safety with four games of the season remaining.
But Boro remain second from bottom and host Manchester City on Sunday before visiting league leaders Chelsea the following weekend.