The right kind of Spur

Pochettino desperate to Bridge the gap with Chelsea

London: Mauricio Pochettino (pic) admits even he can barely remember what things were like the last time Tottenham won at Chelsea.

Gary Lineker’s winner back in February 1990 was the most recent occasion Tottenham returned from Stamford Bridge with bragging rights. Their 30 subsequent trips to the Bridge have brought 19 defeats and 11 draws in all competitions.

Chelsea supporters have revelled in their superiority and even celebrated the 2-2 comeback draw two seasons ago – which handed Leicester the league title – as another win.

Pochettino does not have to be told about the depth of the animosity between the two sides, having also lost against the Blues

Harry Kane: Likely to be

at Wembley three times.

missing from Spurs’ line-up

And that hattrick of defeats

today due to injury. — Reuters

includes Spurs’ opening home game at their temporary home in August. But the Argentine conceded he had no real knowledge of English football when the Tottenham fans last had something to really celebrate at the Bridge.

Boss Pochettino said: “I was in a different world. A completely different world in 1990. “I was playing at Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina. My debut was in 1989, so my second season was 1990.

“Yes, I remember. I remember. I was so young – 17 or 18 years old.

“Argentina was not in the period it is now with the Internet where you can see everything. There were not too many TV channels to watch games.

“Maybe sometimes you heard things on the radio but it was somewhere very distant.”

Back then, Spurs were ahead of Chelsea both on and off the pitch, and Pochettino would love that to be the case again.

Victory today would put fourth-placed Tottenham eight points clear of the Blues, who are fifth, in the battle for Champions League slots.

Pochettino has conceded Spurs’ lack of big results away from home has been a key factor in his impressive side falling short of their title ambitions.

The only win at a so-called “Big Six” rival in his four seasons at the helm was the 2-1 victory at Manchester City in 2016-17. This term, four of Spurs’ four defeats came at the hands of Arsenal, Manchester United and City on the road, and Chelsea at home.

They also needed a late penalty from Harry Kane to salvage a draw against Liverpool at Anfield.

Laying that Stamford Bridge hoodoo to rest would help end jibes about Spurs not having the bottle for the battle. And it would also set up Pochettino’s men for their FA Cup semi-final with Manchester United next month – and a potential final against Chelsea if both get through their last-four clashes.

More crucially, perhaps, it would settle the nerves of the Spurs fans, who fear missing out on the top four and a third successive season of Champions League football to coincide with their return to the club’s gleaming new home.

A win would see Spurs pull a healthy distance away from Antonio Conte’s Blues with just seven games to go and make them look secure.

Yet Pochettino insists his team do not have to beat the past – merely the 11 men in blue sent out by Italian Conte.

But they are set to go into the game without Kane, who seems likely to have a spot on the bench at best.

Pochettino said: “Of course the history is the history and it is there. But it is not going to help Chelsea or us.

“There are still a lot of games to play this season. It’s not a final – just a decisive game.

“But it’s important for confidence and motivation to win.

“To compare with Arsenal, the rivalry between the clubs – it’s similar. Similar in everything. It’s a derby.

“For me it is a similar type of opponent and, of course, for the fans it is so important. Three points would put us in a very good position in the table.”