Conte: We must handle pressure

ANTONIO CONTE has told his players they must learn to handle pressure after Tottenham blew a major opportunity in the race for the top four against Brighton.

Tottenham are still in fourth despite the shock 1-0 defeat, but Conte (right) was clearly irritated by the limp nature of the loss — with Spurs failing to log even a single shot on goal.

Ahead of a season-defining run-in — where his side face Arsenal and Liverpool in their final four games — the Italian called for them to show they are up to the task. He said: ‘You have to try to do much better than today. We have to know that we are in the Champions League race.

‘I think not many people thought this, but we are in this race because we showed we deserved to stay there. Now we have to continue. Once you are in a good position in the table you have to keep this position. It’s a good opportunity for us to cope with pressure.

‘It’s not a good result for us and a lesson that we can learn today is that there are games that if you’re not able to win, you’re not to lose.’

Brighton manager Graham Potter said: ‘We knew we had to be good and we were. It’s a great day for the club, three points, clean sheet, not so bad since it was Armageddon about three games ago.

‘It was only fair that if we beat Arsenal we had to go to Spurs and beat them.’