Monday 10 December 2018 06:42, UK
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino declared all eyes are on Barcelona after his side cruised past Leicester.
Heung-Min Son and Dele Alli struck to clinch a 2-0 win at the King Power Stadium on Saturday night.
Harry Kane was rested and played just the final 16 minutes as Pochettino kept him fresh for Tuesday’s crucial Champions League clash at the Nou Camp.
Victory lifted Spurs up to third in the Premier League, six points behind new leaders Liverpool.
But Pochettino is now focused on staying in Europe, with Tottenham second in Group B and locked on seven points with Inter Milan, who play PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday.
“Now it allows us to start thinking about Barcelona,” he said. “You never know in football until you play.
“It will be a massive game, they have qualified for the next stage but in the Champions League no-one is going to give a present.
“We need to win and deserve to win. The mentality is going to be 200 per cent to try to win.
“We are going to arrive in the best condition, Barcelona are one of the best teams in Europe.”
Manchester City’s 2-0 defeat at Chelsea also allowed Spurs to close the gap to Pep Guardiola’s second-placed side to five points, and Pochettino wants consistency if they are to maintain a title challenge.
“The reality is we are there, fighting Liverpool, City, Chelsea and Arsenal – that’s the reality,” he said.
“The three points are massive to keep our position in the table. It’s a massive win for us.
“It’s not a thing to show the belief you have in the squad is massive. It’s easy to talk about but it’s difficult to show. We believe and trust in the squad and how important all the players are.
“There’s no point players playing every three days. It’s not healthy, they need to rest and need some time to breathe.
“For some teams it’s so difficult to manage. The most important thing is being genuine in the trust you have in the squad. We are showing we trust all the players."
Leicester, without the injured Jamie Vardy, lacked bite and never looked like scoring even before Son's opener.
They remain ninth, with boss Claude Puel unhappy they failed to build on a solid start.
"We have a regret of course. I am frustrated as we started the game very well, we put in place a good structure," he said.
"We need more confidence around the box to give the right service. It was a shame to have all these possibilities.
"We conceded the goal and it was tough. It was difficult to come back in the game.
"They are one of the teams challenging for the title because they have a big squad and quality."
