Poch: Keep focused on winning league

MAURICIO POCHETTINO has ordered his players to forget about being crowned kings of north London and focus on cranking up the pressure on Chelsea. Victory over West Ham on Friday night would reduce Chelsea’s lead at the top of the Premier League to one point, with the Blues not playing Middlesbrough until next Monday. Asked whether reducing Chelsea’s lead to a single point would strike a psychological blow in the title race, Pochettino answered: ‘It could, we’ll see after. ‘We have the chance to play before Chelsea and if we are able to win at West Ham, we will see what happens. ‘I’m happy but also calm as we have four games to play and now it is important to be focused and to try to reduce the gap.’ Antonio Conte’s Blues had won at Everton earlier yesterday afternoon, a game Pochettino did not allow his players to watch. The Spurs manager’s view of that result was ‘of course, I am disappointed’, as the gap between the sides remains unaltered. ‘It is four points, with four to play, and we’ll see what happens next week,’ he said. ‘Our challenge is not only to beat Arsenal but all the 19 teams in the Premier League. I can understand our fans being excited about finishing above Arsenal, but I don’t feel the same because for me it is about trying to win the title. It is so important now to win trophies. I think still we are in the race.’ Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, admitted the 17-point gap between the north London rivals is justified. ‘The points are the points, they do not come from heaven,’ Wenger said. ‘You earn them on the pitch. That’s it. The gap is there.’