Mauricio Pochettino: Tottenham must finish in top four to compete with big-spending rivals

Spurs edged closer to securing a place in next season’s Champions League with a hard-fought win in the Potteries courtesy of two goals from Christian Eriksen

Mauricio Pochettino after Tottenham's win against Stoke (Getty)

Mauricio Pochettino claims a top-four finish in the Premier League is imperative for Tottenham Hotspur to compete with their big-spending rivals following a 2-1 victory over Stoke City.

Spurs edged closer to securing a place in next season’s Champions League with a hard-fought win in the Potteries courtesy of two goals from Christian Eriksen.

Pochettino’s fourth-placed side are only behind third-placed Liverpool on goal difference, with a game in hand on the Merseyside club, and crucially have an 11-point cushion on Chelsea in fifth.

Tottenham do not have the same financial spending power of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United although they will have greater earning potential when they move into a new stadium next season.

Spurs boss Pochettino acknowledged that being able to host games from European football’s elite competition will be key to ensuring they keep pace with other clubs.

“I think for us it will be a massive achievement to finish for third time in the top four and get the Champions League is a fantastic thing,” Pochettino said.

“I think it will help not only on the football side but on the business side. The new stadium will help the team.

“The club is developing the projects, not only the stadium but the training ground facilities. I think it’s a combination and today is a great balance between both sides. I think the club is an exciting project, not only football but facilities and the mark of Tottenham.”

Pochettino also urged his players to not simply accept the job is done and to now push on and finish runners-up to Manchester City.

“First of all our target is top four,” Pochettino said. “It would be fantastic to be third time in a row and consecutive years.

Eriksen fired in Tottenham’s winner from a free-kick (Getty)

“To have the possibility to play Champions League in the new stadium I think would be a great achievement. Then we will see.

“If we are able to take that opportunity after finishing in the top four then of course to finish second or third is better than fourth.”

Eriksen put Spurs ahead when he got on the end of Dele Alli’s cross seven minutes into the second half although Mame Biram Diouf equalised after a mistake by keeper Hugo Lloris.

The Spurs goalkeeper’s clearance rebounded off the Stoke striker and dropped kindly for Diouf to roll the ball into the vacant net.

Eriksen fired in Tottenham’s winner from a free-kick although the goal was initially credited to striker Harry Kane who claimed he got the faintest of touches as he attempted a header.

The result means Stoke are in the relegation zone and four points from safety but manager Paul Lambert could not fault the effort of his players.

“We were excellent throughout the game up against a really good side,” Lambert said.

“I couldn’t ask for any more from the way we played. Performance-wise, we don’t look like a team in the bottom two that’s for sure.

“We’ve played Arsenal and Spurs in the last two games and we should have probably picked up points that we deserved.”