Mauricio Pochettino says his Tottenham Hotspur side are still focused on securing a place in the Europa League next season – despite a listless defeat at Stoke City suggesting quite the opposite.
The Romania defender Vlad Chiriches typified the malaise among the Spurs players, ending a dreadful 51-minute performance by being sent off for a second bookable offence, and giving every indication that instructions had been given to finish low enough to avoid Uefa’s secondary competition.
But Pochettino said: “I think it is good for the club to achieve the Europa League and this is what we are going to try. It is difficult now, but we need to do the last two weeks and to try to win the first game on Saturday with Hull City.”
The defeat at Britannia Stadium, where Stoke equalled their Premier League club record of 50 points and did the double over Tottenham for the first time, ruled Spurs out of the race for a Champions League spot. But all roads appear to lead to a fifth successive season in the Europa League, with the bleak prospect of Arsenal winning the FA Cup to ensure the prize for dropping to seventh is a place in the third qualifying round in July.
Harry Kane nonetheless echoed Pochettino’s claims. “The Europa League is another chance to win a trophy, which is something we have made it clear that we want to do,” he said. “We will try and win the last two matches to qualify. We will be taking that competition seriously.
“If you want to go and win the Champions League you have to play a lot of games. Europa League is no different. It will give us a bit more experience in Europe and help us push on to the Champions League. Everyone wants to be involved.”
Man of the match Steven Nzonzi (Stoke)
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