Pochettino ‘smells’ title as Spurs spoil for fight to the finish

MAURICIO POCHETTINO has urged his players to keep on running with the finish line of the Premier League title race in sight.

Tottenham host West Bromwich Albion this evening, playing catch-up once again in their bid to reel in leaders Leicester.

With four games to go, Pochettino says his side are now close enough to the title that the smell of glory is driving them forwards.

Rather than tiring, Spurs are running just as hard as they were at the start of the season and their manager thinks that is as much to do with belief in their heads as freshness in their legs.

‘We can see the finishing line,’ Pochettino said. ‘We can see it. We haven’t arrived there yet. It’s important that we keep our motivation at a good level. We can run more. It’s in our minds.

‘I think we have shown a very good level at this moment and we need to fight for the next four games to achieve big things like winning the title.

‘Today I can smell it. It was fantastic before the game at Stoke, in the warm-up, when we arrived before they went to the pitch, you could feel that they were ready to compete, the trust between each other was fantastic. I thought it was impossible that we wouldn’t win the three points.

‘I knew before the game we would win. You could feel it from the players. That’s fantastic. When you achieve that it’s great. That’s the objective and we need to fight now not to lose that feeling.’

After Leicester dropped points against West Ham last week, Spurs’ four-goal win at Stoke started talk of the Londoners being the best team in the country. But Leicester responded yesterday with a 4-0 win of their own, thrashing Swansea even without suspended 22-goal striker Jamie Vardy.

Pochettino believes it is vital his squad stays relaxed and uninhibited despite the pressure.

‘I always believe we are the best but today in the table it shows that Leicester are before us and we need to show that we are better,’ said the Argentine. ‘If we do that then we will win the title.

‘In football, you can’t send a message to be careful to the players. If you do they are inhibited. They need to be free to play.

‘But we feel free without pressure. I think we showed that (against Stoke) we played very well and took the game to them. It was fantastic.’

Tony Pulis is one of many managers who have backed Leicester for the title.

‘I would love to see Leicester win the League,’ said the West Brom boss. ‘But if not, then I’m also happy with Tottenham. Everything to do with the club is first class. It’s great for football that a different team will be picking up the trophy this year.” Kick-off: 8.00pm at White Hart Lane. TV & Radio: LIVE Sky Sports 1 from 7pm and BBC Radio 5 Live. Referee: Mike Jones.