DREAM ON SAYS POCH
EVERY KICK, EVERY GOAL, EVERY GAME Boss calls for title push
HUGO LLORIS is playing down Tottenham’s Premier League title hopes – but boss Mauricio Pochettino wants his team to dream.
Goals from Eric Dier and Heung-min Son helped the visitors beat Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday to breathe fresh life into the title race.
Chelsea’s shock loss to Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge means the gap has closed between the leaders and Pochettino’s team to seven points.
Spurs still have a mountain to climb and although Lloris was delighted with how they coped against the toothless Clarets, he is not jumping through hoops just yet.
Feeling
He said: “We don’t talk about the title because even seven points is a big gap at this stage of the season.
“I prefer to look backwards and to look at what is happening behind us because this is the final race.
“The win is a good feeling because it means even if Chelsea are a big team with big players, it’s not done even if they have a good advantage of points.
“But I want to repeat that the most important thing is to stay focused on ourselves and we will see where we are at the end.”
But Pochettino insists his squad should be buzzing by their current prospects.
He said: “We don’t need anybody to push us to be excited because it is exciting the moment that we are living now.
“It is an exciting moment and we are conscious about the situation.
“Reducing the gap to three points by Chelsea was important for us. There is a lot of work to do and we are fighting and that is the most important thing.
“We are playing for big things. We are in the FA Cup semi-final and second in the table and I think a better position is impossible – this is our time to be excited and give our best.”
Dele Alli squandered a glorious chance after 32 minutes when he blazed over with the goal at his mercy but that was about it in the first half.
Spurs lost Victor Wanyama and Harry Winks to injuries just before the break but Burnley never really looked like twisting the knife.
Burnley’s defence cracked in the 66th minute thanks to Dier, who
slammed home from six yards. And Son sealed it towards the end as he got on the end of Alli’s fine pass to send the away fans wild.
Burnley are without a win in seven games but Clarets boss Sean Dyche is remaining upbeat about their survival chances and wants to put things right on the pitch as soon as possible.
He said: “These are bonus points if you take these boys on and beat them because they are so strong.
“Chelsea are very strong but we got a point against them, so we know the reality of the division.
“You have to take everybody on with a purpose of winning and I thought we did that, but after the first goal they became the better side.” ERIC DIER Solid as a rock and scored too JOEY BARTON Was he even playing?