Spurs look to crank up the pressure on Chelsea with time running out
MANCHESTER (Reuters) – If Chelsea needed any reminder that there is still work to be done to secure a second title in three years, the Premier League schedule should ensure there is no complacency in Antonio Conte’s squad.
Second-place Tottenham visits West Ham United on Friday and a win for Mauricio Pochettino’s team would cut the gap to leader Chelsea to just one point ahead of the Blues’ Monday game against relegation-threatened Middlesbrough.
Both the title-chasers are in buoyant mood after crucial wins last weekend with Spurs triumphing over Arsenal in the North London derby and Chelsea winning 3-0 against Everton at Goodison Park in the toughest game on paper of its run-in.
“We keep going, it’s hard to do anything else. We can’t control what Chelsea do, we just have to keep winning our games,” said Spurs forward Harry Kane, who scored in the 2-0 win over Arsenal to take his league tally to 21 for the season.
“We have another London derby on Friday night and hopefully we can win that, drop it down to one point and see what happens... We’re playing as well as we ever have done in the Premier League.”
Tottenham has won nine consecutive league games, but West Ham will remember that it was only minutes away from doing what no team has managed this season – beating Spurs at White Hart Lane.
Spurs fought back from 2-1 down in stoppage time, with two Kane goals, to claim a 3-2 win in November and Hammers defender Winston Reid knows the England forward will be a threat again.
“When we played them at White Hart Lane, he didn’t have a shot on target for 89 minutes, then out of nowhere he had scored a penalty and another goal from open play and they had won the game,” he said.
Chelsea was 10 points ahead a few weeks ago before Tottenham’s recent surge.
“I think it’s important for us of course and for the Premier League to put pressure, to keep interest until the end of the season,” Pochettino told reporters on Thursday. “It’s a great opportunity for us, Friday, to try to reduce the gap and put a little bit of pressure on them.
“It’s true that the gap is important, only four games to play, but of course HARRY KANE (left) has scored 21 league goals so far this season for Tottenham, which is chasing its 10th Premiership victory in a row on Friday night at West Ham United, a result that would put Spurs a point behind N’Golo Kante (right) and leader Chelsea. we will play another derby against West Ham and it will be a very, very tough game.
“If we are not capable of getting the three points it will be difficult.”
Tottenham has kept four clean sheets in a row in the league, scoring 11 goals in the process, and is brimming with confidence as it heads to its London rival.
“The team has shown great belief in the last few months,” he said. “You can see the results at the end.”
Chelsea, meanwhile, starts as the clear favorite against second-bottom Middlesbrough, but the Blues will have noted the fighting spirit shown by Boro in a 2-2 draw with fourthplace Manchester City on Sunday.
Chelsea defender David Luiz says winning the Premier League has become an “obsession” as the leader edges ever closer to lifting this season’s crown in his first campaign back at the club.
Luiz, who returned to Stamford Bridge from Paris Saint Germain at the start of the season, won the Champions League and Europa League during his first spell at the club, but the league title eluded the mop-haired Brazilian during that period.
“I had already won several titles with Chelsea, played my part in a beautiful period in the club’s history and made so many friends,” said Luiz.
“I thought it was time to move on, so I had no regrets. But things change quickly in football,” he added of his departure in 2014.
“Winning the Premier League has always been an obsession of mine. We’ve worked hard to make this dream come true.”
Conte is on course to bag a double in his first season at the club, having led Chelsea four points clear thus far and to an FA Cup final showdown against Arsenal on May 27.
Luiz said the positive results were a reflection of Conte’s meticulous preparation on the training ground this season.
“There isn’t a tiny detail he isn’t aware of,” the Brazilian added. “We all know that he trusts in our ability and one of his best qualities is that he treats everyone equally.”
In the battle for Champions League qualification, third-place Liverpool is at home on Sunday to Southampton – a club it has raided for several players in recent seasons – while fifth-place Manchester United takes on Arsenal, in sixth.
Manchester City will expect to get back to winning ways, after three games without a victory, when it hosts Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Sam Allardyce’s team, however, is unlikely to roll over as it still needs points to secure safety after a home loss to Burnley last Saturday.
At the bottom of the table, Hull City will be hoping to pull further away from the drop zone when it faces already relegated Sunderland, while Swansea, in 18th and two points adrift of the safety zone, faces a tough home game against Everton.