Spurs look to kickstart league campaign

london — Tottenham Hotspur will begin the task of repairing their faltering season when Stoke City visit White Hart Lane this weekend.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side have seen their Premier League title hopes fade in recent weeks and were hit by another blow on Thursday when their failure to beat Gent at Wembley ended their hopes of success in the Europa League.

Now, having won just one of their last four league games, Spurs need a result against Mark Hughes’s side to consolidate their hold on a top-four place.

Having appeared capable of catching Chelsea when they ended the Blues’ 13-game winning streak in early January, Pochettino’s team have slipped 10 points adrift of the leaders and their primary focus now is fending off the challengers for a Champions League place.

They face Stoke in third place but just two points separates them from Manchester United in sixth.

United are occupied with the League Cup final this weekend, fourth-placed Arsenal have a free weekend and Liverpool, currently fifth, face Leicester City on Monday night.

Tottenham are therefore presented with the chance to open a more significant gap.

But if they are to do so, they will have to avoid the mistakes that cost them against Gent, and in particular, the loss of discipline that resulted in a first-half red card for Dele Alli against the Belgians.

Midfielder Victor Wanyama said: “It’s a big game on Sunday. We need to get back to winning ways and hopefully we can fight again how we did in the second half and then we’ll be on the right track.” Saido Berahino could be set for his first start for Stoke City against Tottenham.

The £15 million ($18.7m, 17.7m euros) striker — a target for the White Hart Lane club in recent seasons — has made two substitute appearances since his move from West Bromwich Albion but he has topped up his sharpness on the team’s weeklong trip to Dubai. —