“I am so happy” – Pochettino expresses his pride after Leicester refereeing debacle

Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino admitted he was proud of his players following the 3-1 victory against Leicester City.

Spurs battled through difficult circumstances to come away from the match with a win to keep the pressure on Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the table, while also tightening their grip on a top four finish.

Referee Michael Oliver made it a difficult afternoon for Mauricio Pochettino’s side with two staggering penalty decisions.

In the first half, he booked Heung-min Son for diving when it was clear that there was contact from Harry Maguire in the penalty area.

Following the break, Oliver got another crucial decision wrong when he awarded the Foxes a penalty with Spurs leading 1-0 after adjudging that Jan Vertonghen had impeded James Maddison.

Spurs skipper Hugo Lloris showed his quality once again with a vital stop from Jamie Vardy’s spot kick.

Despite missing Harry Kane and Dele Alli, the Lilywhites have now won four successive Premier League matches.

Pochettino was asked after the game if the way the team ground out that victory say as much about their determination as anything else.

He told Football.London: “I think yes, it’s fantastic. Sometimes you win games not playing in your best. It was an even game. The way we conceded is more than we usually concede. I think the victory is fair. I am so happy. One more time to congratulate the players.

“Again their effort was fantastic. With all the circumstances that happened during the game and this season it’s so important to recognise that they are doing a fantastic effort and I am so proud of that.”