What Pochettino said after the West Brom draw

Mauricio Pochettino was left to admit that the points gap between Tottenham Hotspur and Premier League leaders Manchester City is ‘massive’.

City can extend their points difference to Tottenham to 13 should they beat Huddersfield Town on Sunday, following Tottenham’s lacklustre draw with West Bromwich Albion.

Without being prompted, Pochettino stressed the importance of Tottenham trying to turn around their form at Wembley, with home form never really being an issue at White Hart Lane.

This season, Tottenham have already failed to beat Swansea City, Burnley and West Bromwich Albion at ‘home’, results which in previous seasons would have been nine points in the bank.

I think even the most optimistic Spurs fan has to admit that our outside hope of lifting the Premier League title this season is now over.

“Yes, it’s true that the gap is now 10 points and that’s massive in the Premier League. Now we need to be focused on trying to improve us and be more consistent at Wembley and try to win more games here like it was at White Hart Lane,” Pochettino said in his post-match press conference.

“It’s true that it’s different to White Hart Lane but that is our reality. We cannot escape from our reality. Our reality is playing here and waiting for our new stadium. That’s not an excuse. I think the team is doing well. I’m only disappointed when you drop points when you deserve to take all three points.”

Asked about Spurs’ difficulties in breaking down smaller teams at Wembley, Pochettino said: “I think today only we need to talk about West Brom, because against Swansea I think we played much better than against Crystal Palace.

“We won three points against Crystal Palace and couldn’t against Swansea or Burnley, or how we lose to Chelsea here at home. I think today I’m pleased because the team made a massive effort after Borussia Dortmund [on Tuesday].

“It was very competitive and we tried to win and score to the end. The effort was massive, but in the last third we need to do more and be more clinical in front of goal. The team creates chances and the ball arrives in a good condition but it’s important to be clinical in the last third.”

“We feel disappointed,” Pochettino added. “But I am pleased with the effort after the Dortmund game. We tried in different ways to win the game. In the moment that we conceded the goal so early, it’s true that it had a massive impact on us. They believed in that moment that it was possible to win the game. It’s true that we were wrong in the way that we tried to find the creative space and we moved the ball so slowly in the first half an hour of the game.

“But maybe because how we conceded the goal was such a big impact. In the last 15 minutes we began to play so much better, moved the ball better and found better space. In the second half I think it was very good. The team played very well and created many chances. It’s disappointing to drop two points, but from my point of view and the team’s it’s so difficult to explain why we didn’t win the game today.”

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