Pochettino aims jibe at Tottenham’s London rivals

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino hailed his team as the best in London after it was confirmed that they would finish above rivals Chelsea and Arsenal in the Premier League this season, following the 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Wednesday.

The result secured Champions League football for Spurs and put a major dent in the top-four hopes of the Blues, who only managed a draw at home to Huddersfield Town.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are some way adrift in sixth place and are now entering a transitional period, with boss Arsene Wenger set to bring his 22-year reign to an end this weekend.

“The first step is always to be competitive, reduce the gap with the top four, that was the challenge four years ago,” Pochettino said after the victory over the Magpies, as reported by the Daily Star.

“Now after 23 years in the Premier League Tottenham are above all the London clubs.

“The next thing is to win a trophy. But you need to build.

“We are not in a club that wins a lot in last years.”

When Pochettino arrived at the club four seasons ago, Tottenham’s aim was to break into the Champions League, but overtaking Chelsea and Arsenal will be almost as sweet for fans of the Lilywhites.

Despite the Stamford Bridge outfit claiming two titles in that period, there is certainly an argument to be made that Spurs have been the most consistent of the teams from the capital.

Arsenal’s demise was further highlighted by Wednesday’s 3-1 defeat at Leicester City, which means that the Gunners are still yet to pick up a point away from home in 2018.

With a return to the Champions League now guaranteed and a new stadium nearing completion, Tottenham’s immediate prospects look bright and attention will soon turn to the transfer market and strengthening the squad.

Capitalising on this position will be the priority for 2018-19 and as Pochettino rightly says, the next step is to claim a trophy.