Postecoglou baffled by Spurs fans who want to lose to City

Ange Postecoglou has said he will “never understand” why some Tottenham Hotspur supporters want their own team to lose against Manchester City tonight.

Spurs could hand Arsenal, their bitter north London rivals, the advantage in the Premier League title race if they can take points off City. As a result, there are mixed feelings within the Spurs fan base about the prospect of a potential victory.

But Postecoglou said the concept of local bragging rights is “absolutely meaningless” to him as he railed against the suggestion that Spurs fans will not back their team at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“I understand rivalry,” said Postecoglou. “I was part of one of the biggest ones in the world in the last couple of years with Celtic and Rangers, and I understand the rivalry. But I have never, and will never, understand if someone wants their own team to lose.

“That’s not what sport is about. It’s not what I love about the game. What I love more than anything in the game is the competitiveness, challenging yourself to beat someone and coming out successful.

“Anything outside of that, it’s got nothing to do with sport. It’s got nothing to do with me. If other people want to treat it that way, that they get pleasure from other people’s misery, that’s not how I’ve lived my life.”

City are one point behind Arsenal with a worse goal difference. A draw or defeat for Pep Guardiola’s side would therefore put Arsenal in control of their own destiny ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Everton at the Emirates Stadium. City host West Ham at the same time

A comparison of the two clubs’ recent form – City have won seven in a row and not lost in the league since early December while Spurs’ victory over Burn le yon Saturday was their first in five outings – seemingly points to only one outcome. But Guardiola said the game was not without jeopardy.

“It’s obvious. We have just one option: win the game,” he said. “I felt from what happened in the past with the way we were playing against Liverpool [in their epic title races] I said, ‘Either we win, win, win or it will be over’. If we don’t win, we don’t win the Premier League.”

Guardiola brushed off their previous problems at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and stressed the chance to make history with a fourth Premier League title in a row would not make things any more difficult for his side.

“Many times we have played really good and not been able to score and win the games,” he added. “You have to do something special, exceptional, and it has never happened in the Premier League, we have to do it this time.

“Now is the time to do it, otherwise Arsenal will be champions.” (© Telegraph Media Group Ltd, 2024)