TOTTENHAM’S HAMMER BLOW HUGO GO GO! Noble is happy with a home win
Lloris: We must stay positive ... there’s a lot f or us to build on
WEST HAM captain Mark Noble believes the victory over Tottenham means the London Stadium is finally starting to “feel like home”. Noble (above), who turns 30 tomorrow, was left beaming by the one-goal win over the title-chasers. The Hammers have endured a difficult start in their new ground but Noble said: “The last two games I’ve played here, against Swansea and Tottenham, have really started to feel like home. “I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome than Friday, coming back into the starting line-up for a game like that. “Getting that result against Tottenham makes it even more special. The atmosphere was unreal and beating Spurs puts us safe.” HUGO LLORIS insists Tottenham must continue to build rather than wallow in self-pity if Chelsea win the title.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men lost 1-0 at West Ham on Friday night leaving the Blues needing only two wins to clinch the crown.
Barring a stunning Chelsea collapse, it will mark another season for Spurs where they have pushed the leaders only to fall at the final hurdle.
And goalkeeper Lloris says the club must push on and continue to punch above its weight.
“We need to stay positive because we have a lot of young players who represent the future of the England team as well. They have the mentality of winners,” the Frenchman said.
“In front of us there is a machine in Chelsea that is difficult to beat and, because they haven’t had European football and extra games to play, it has been a little easier for them.
“It is already a success to he here, fighting for the title and close to the leaders for a second year in a row.
“And when you see the massive clubs that are behind us, who have more capacity to invest, the position is so tight. Every season the league is getting harder and harder for everyone. But it is our ambition to win.
“Tottenham are a big club but there are clubs with bigger financial potential. I say that with a lot of humility. I have a lot of respect for Tottenham. It is a big club and, what we have done over the last three seasons, is a massive improvement.
“To be here ready to fight and compete against the best is good. The new stadium will make us bigger. Step by step we will try to bridge the financial gap.
“We have done a lot – and now we have to carry on.”
In the short term, Lloris, 30, wants to finish well and make sure they seal the runners-up spot.
Last year the end-of-season slip saw Arsenal jump ahead of their north London rivals into second place.
Focused
“The season is not over yet and we have got to secure second place,” Lloris added.
“My feeling hasn’t changed after West Ham. It is the same as before. We must stay focused on ourselves and try to finish the job in the best way.
“There are three games left and we must try to win all of them – to finish second would be a success. We wanted more, but we weren’t capable of getting the result we needed.
“It has been a lot in our thoughts about catching Chelsea. At one stage they had 10,11, 12 and 13 points over us. So we must not forget everything we have done up until now – especially in the way we have played football.”