Mauricio Pochettino not fearing the sack despite Tottenham's battering at Brighton

Spurs manager says team 'needs to stick together' after latest defeat, while Villa hit five at Norwich and Everton's problems continue

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 05: Aaron Connolly of Brighton and Hove Albion celebrates his sides first goal as Hugo Lloris of Tottenham Hotspur goes down injured during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur at American Express Community Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Brighton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
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Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino insists that he is not worried about getting the sack, despite his side's crisis deepening with a 3-0 loss at Brighton.

Spurs put in one of the worst displays of Pochettino's spell in charge as they fell to Neal Maupay's opener and Aaron Connolly's double, coming hot on the heels of Tuesday night's Champions League 7-2 humiliation at home to Bayern Munich.

Tottenham have now failed to win in their last away 10 games in the Premier League, stretching back to January, and have lost 17 in all competitions in 2019 – more than any other top-flight side.

They have also taken just 22 points from their last 20 league games, were knocked out of the  Carabao Cup by League Two Colchester, while a host of key players' futures remain uncertain.

Pochettino has already had to outline his commitment to the job twice this season, but says the thought of being fired by Spurs does not concern him.

"No I am not worried, what worries me is life, not football," he said.  "Football is a game that sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. The problem for us – it was win, win, win and it was praise for everyone.

"When we were on the top we were all together, and now when this type of moment arrives, we need to stick together."

Spurs endured a nightmare start as another Hugo Lloris error, where he dropped the ball on the goal line, allowed Maupay an easy tap-in.

To make matters worse, Lloris suffered a serious arm injury that saw him leave the pitch with gas and air and screaming in pain. He was then taken straight to hospital for treatment.

"Hugo Lloris' injury had massive impact on the game," Pochettino said. "It was so early in the game. To concede so early and losing our captain, it had an emotional impact on the team. We tried to find solutions, a different way to play but it was impossible. It's a very difficult moment."

For Brighton, not only was it their first win since the opening day but it was Graham Potter's first at the Amex. He said: "We've been playing quite well recently and haven't quite got the results, so to get the three points today, it gives you confidence."

Soccer Football - Premier League - Norwich City v Aston Villa - Carrow Road, Norwich, Britain - October 5, 2019  Aston Villa's Wesley scores their first goal   REUTERS/Chris Radburn  EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.  Please contact your account representative for further details.
Wesley scores Aston Villa's first goal against Norwich City at Carrow Road yesterday. Reuters 

Brazilian striker Wesley scored twice and missed a penalty as Aston Villa thumped injury-hit Norwich City 5-1 at Carrow Road for their biggest Premier League away win in 11 years.

Jack Grealish, Conor Hourihane and Douglas Luiz completed the rout, with Josip Drmic scoring a late consolation for Norwich who looked a shadow of the side who had beaten Manchester City in their previous home game.

Wesley, who has now doubled his Villa goal tally, was criticised for a slipshod performance against Burnley last weekend but justified manager Dean Smith's faith with his first-half strikes.

"He is a young player," said Smith. "It is a new group of players and a new style and a big price. I had no doubts to put him in. I thought he was a colossus up front."

Norwich's injury problems were at the route of their thrashing, according to manager Daniel Farke. "We had to play today without 10 players," he said. "There were also so many players on the pitch who not able to train and had painkillers because we had no other options."

Burnley's Jeff Hendrick celebrates scoring against Everton during the English Premier League soccer match at Turf Moor, Burnley, England, Saturday Oct. 5, 2019. (Anthony Devlin/PA via AP)
Burnley's Jeff Hendrick celebrates after scoring the winning goal against Everton at Turf Moor on Saturday. AP

A 72nd-minute volley from Jeff Hendrick gave Burnley a 1-0 win over Everton at Turf Moor, condemning Marco Silva's side to a fourth straight defeat.

The result leaves Everton languishing in 17th place, a point above the relegation zone, while Burnley extended their unbeaten run to four games and moved up to fourth.

Watford and Sheffield United played out a 0-0 draw at Vicarage Road to leave Quique Sanchez Flores's side at the bottom of the standings, still searching for their first league win of the season.

The result extended the Blades' unbeaten run on the road to four games since their return to the top flight – with three draws and a win – as jeers rang around the ground from the home fans at the final whistle.