‘We can’t make bad mistakes like that in this competition’

ANTONIO CONTE told his Tottenham players they paid the price for mistakes following their Champions League capitulation in Lisbon.

Spurs were on course for a point before Sporting hit two goals in the dying seconds to inflict the Premier League team’s first defeat of the season. Conte’s men missed a host of chances and the Italian said: ‘The Champions League level is very high. You have to reduce the mistakes because at the end you can pay and we paid, we paid a lot. ‘Now, instead of a draw, we are talking about a loss against a team used to playing in this competition. It’s a pity. ‘All of the players know the level is an important level and you have to continue to improve yourself. A draw would have been more fair but Sporting were good to take their moment. ‘We could not score and tried to win the game and then in the last 10 minutes we could have done much better. ‘They scored with a corner and then the second goal after 90 minutes. It’s a pity but it was a difficult game. ‘We had two or three situations where we could have done much better but now we must rest and think about the Premier League.’ Sporting forward Marcus Edwards, who came through the ranks at Tottenham, produced a man-ofthe-match performance. ‘I wouldn’t say extra special but it was a strange feeling playing against Spurs,’ he said. ‘I was there for so long, so it was good to see people I know. ‘Winning at the end, if feels great. We put in a hard shift. I couldn’t be happier.’ On the prospect of an England call-up, Edwards added: ‘I wouldn’t say that’s crossed my mind.

‘I’m just focused on what I’m doing here.’