Pochettino motivated by Capital One Cup final defeat to Chelsea

Mauricio Pochettino wants his Tottenham side to use the bitter experience of losing last season’s Capital One Cup final to compete for the trophy again this year.

Spurs lost March’s final 2-0 to Chelsea at Wembley – a stadium that both sides are hoping to use as a temporary home in the coming seasons – and start their campaign this season with a third-round tie at home to fierce local rivals Arsenal.

While both clubs are expected to make a number of changes from their weekend Premier League duties, Pochettino is keen to use the final defeat as a starting point this time around – and explained why he made his players stay on the Wembley pitch to watch Chelsea lift the trophy.

“It is important to show respect,” he said.

“To feel when you lose that it is a good lesson to stay and only see the trophy and you have the possibility 90 minutes before to take the trophy.

“You can always learn from the defeat and this is the feeling you don’t want to repeat again. It is a good lesson for us.

“I think it was a very good experience for us. It’s true that the feeling was good before the game and during the game, but at the end was bad. When you lose, that’s the normal feeling. It was a good thing, because you need to learn.

“When you start to be involved in the competition it is important to feel the [same] feeling that you feel in the final. To stay very focused, and very motivated, because they are important games.

“It’s very important to win the game because it’s a special game. You know, you beat Arsenal and it’s a big impact for us.”

Spurs took four points from Arsenal last season, with a Harry Kane brace seeing Pochettino’s side seal a 2-1 victory in the meeting at White Hart Lane.

Kane has yet to score a club goal this season but Pochettino insists he remains unconcerned and believes that win in February helped him establish the philosophy he has be instilling since taking over at the club.

“No, no, I’m not concerned,” he replied when asked about Kane’s barren spell.

“I think it is coming, he will score again. As a striker you always need to score, he works hard for the team and I’m sure the goal is coming.

“It’s an important game and last season it was important to win this game. The derby. For the players, for the belief in the philosophy, it’s a very important game.

“It’s more than only go to the next round of the Capital One Cup, or three points in the league, it has a massive effect.”