Tottenham Hotspur satisfied a major benchmark for their season on Saturday in a 2-0 win over Southampton, as they slid into the Premier League's top four in time for Christmas.
Now, Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino wants them to ‘stay there’.
An otherwise evenly matched affair was titled Spurs’ way by a couple crucial Southampton defensive miscues, which did not go to waste. As the first half drew to an end, a series of poor challenges allowed Harry Kane to knife through on his own, chipping past an impotent lunge by Virgil van Dijk into a one-on-one with keeper Paulo Gazzaniga. Kane calmly fired in the opener past Gazzaniga’s right.
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Just three minutes later Kyle Walker played a cross in the box past a sleeping Southampton defence to Dele Alli, who slotted in at the left post.
Tottenham’s’ victory, combined with Manchester United’s 2-1 defeat by Norwich City, took Spurs into the Premier League’s top four for the first time this season and further strengthened their pursuit of qualification for the Champions League.
“It’s very important to stay there,” said manager Mauricio Pochettino, who also confirmed his decision to substitute goalscorers Kane and Alli was purely precautionary and not because of any injury concerns.
“But it’s not important for us today the table. The table for me is how we finish,” at the end of the season.
“For that, we need to keep working hard, be focused. We are younger and don’t need any distractions. We need now to believe more.
“The reaction was fantastic,” after losing to Newcastle, Pochettino added.
“To win this game was fantastic for us. We felt very disappointed about the result. I want to congratulate the players on what was a fantastic game.”
Southampton manager Ronald Koeman meanwhile took his side to task for their lapses.
“We need to change our mentality. We need (to) work different now. After many defeats in the season we have to react.
“We need more killing mentality, because it’s unacceptable how they scored the first goal.
“We need to change our mentality, we are too nice on the pitch, and I don’t ask for stupid falls, I don’t ask for yellow, red cards, because that is out of frustration, but the mentality as a player, that ‘I win my battle against my opponent’.”
Spurs, he said, had offered a clinic for his side.
“Tottenham shows what you need to do to win the game. Watch the first goal: that kills everybody.
“Opponents at the moment are not afraid of Southampton.”
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