Mauricio Pochettino wary of Tottenham dropping focus for tough Stoke trip
Friday 6 April 2018 20:50, UK
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino believes Stoke will be tougher opponents than Chelsea when his side travel to the bet365 Stadium on Saturday.
Spurs ended their 28-year wait for a win at Stamford Bridge after coming from behind to beat the Blues 3-1 on Sunday, and in the process moved a giant step closer to securing a top-four spot.
But Pochettino is wary that his players could drop their focus as a result and, for that reason, sees difficulty in getting them motivated for the trip to the West Midlands on Saturday.
"It was a massive three points (against Chelsea) but, in the end, if you don't keep pushing it is difficult," he said.
"Sometimes after a victory you can sometimes stop to think that 'if we beat Chelsea, why not against Stoke?' Sometimes you believe you can drop a little bit in your focus.
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"For me, it is the opposite. Our focus must be 200 percent. For me, it will be a tougher game than it was at Stamford Bridge."
Stoke have shown signs of improvement under new manager Paul Lambert and Pochettino believes the Potters are a more resilient side since the Scot's arrival.
"When the new manager arrives, it is a massive impact for the players, for the club and for the fans," he said.
"When you start to see the end of the season, you start to push more. In the last few games they have shown more consistency in their performances.
"Against Arsenal last week, in the end Arsenal won, but it was a very tough game. Stoke played well in the first half.
"We're aware that we need to match them with the same level of motivation. It will be tough; every game in the Premier League is difficult to play."
Harry Kane came off the bench to make a late appearance in the win over Chelsea, but Pochettino says he will wait to decide whether the England international is fit enough to start against Stoke.
"This week was good, he is working hard," said Pochettino. "We need to see him in one more training session but he is doing very well."
