Mauricio Pochettino: 'Tottenham Hotspur must be ready if Chelsea slip up'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 03 February 2017

Pochettino: 'Spurs must be ready to pounce'

Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino admits that it is important his side learn from last season and maintain the pace in the closing weeks of the title race.

Mauricio Pochettino has urged his Tottenham Hotspur players to learn lessons from last season and be fully prepared to capitalise on any slip-up from Chelsea.

The Blues currently hold a comfortable nine-point advantage over closest challengers Spurs and Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, while Liverpool and Manchester City are a further point behind.

Spurs were also in the hunt for the top-flight crown last term, only to fade away in the closing weeks of the season to eventually finish third in the table.

Pochettino acknowledges that his side cannot afford to relinquish control of second place if they are to have any hope of usurping Chelsea, who face a tough test on Saturday against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

"For me, the most important thing is to be ready to take the possibility if Chelsea give the possibility," he told reporters. "Last season, we arrived at the last game second in the table but we finished third. If the possibility was to win the league we would have missed the possibility to win the league.

"We have to be ready. It is up to us. All that we can do is be there if the possibility exists. If not, okay. But if Chelsea drop their performance and their results, we need to be ready to take their place.

"That is one lesson we learned from last season. It is about us. If Chelsea lose, we need to make sure not another team takes our place. Now we are second, we need to keep that."

Tottenham, who have drawn each of their last two games following a previous seven-match winning run, play host to Middlesbrough on Saturday afternoon.