Pochettino: It is not over but it will be hard to catch Chelsea

Spurs manager admits his team needed a win

We’ll give it everything in final games, says Dier

Mauricio Pochettino admitted “champions win” after watching his Tottenham Hotspur team suffer a defeat by rivals West Ham United that puts Chelsea on the brink of clinching the Premier League title.

A Manuel Lanzini goal meant that the momentum has shifted significantly towards Antonio Conte’s side, who can be crowned champions before Tottenham players kick another ball.

Spurs missed the chance to put pressure on Conte’s men and Pochettino conceded that his team needed to have won at the London Stadium.

“To win a league or a trophy, there is a key moment and today was a key moment,” said Pochettino. “It’s not about playing good or bad, or running more or less. But when you need to win, you win. If you want to be champions you must win. How I don’t know.

“We were missing a little bit, but we move on and try to finish in the best way the season, still fighting. It is not over. It is true that it will be difficult. Now we have to wait, but thinking that it will be difficult to catch Chelsea.”

Despite missing their opportunity against West Ham with a performance far from their best, the Tottenham manager insisted that he remains proud of his team.

“We lose, we concede a goal, football is a game, you can win and lose, unlucky for us we lose today,” said Pochettino. “We tried. I don’t change my vision of my team. I’m