Tottenham round-up: Top-four challenge issued; silverware vital for retaining stars says Alan Shearer; Harry Winks and Erik Lamela injury latest

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Following Tottenham’s 2-0 victory at Burnley on Saturday, the gap between themselves and Premier League leaders Chelsea was cut to seven points following the latter’s surprise defeat to Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.

Although this recent shock will inject some excitement back into the title race, and indeed some hope amongst Spurs supporters, club manager Mauricio Pochettino and Spurs captain Hugo Lloris have issued the challenge of learning from last season’s mistakes in losing the title to Leicester, in order to secure a coveted top-four berth and push the Blues all the way in pursuit of the title.

Pochettino’s team will enjoy a slightly more favourable run-in on paper, with upcoming fixtures against Swansea, Watford and Bournemouth, whilst Chelsea face stronger opposition in the shape of Manchester City, who visit Stamford Bridge in the week, with a trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United not long after.

“I think it’s important that we keep the belief and we keep up at the top, fighting,” Pochettino told The Telegraph.

“Always I tell the players, ‘We must show we have learned from last season’, but it is true, last season was a great experience for us.

“We will see if we have learned, but it’s not fair to compare two seasons. It was a tough experience but we need to think about it, and now give our best, keep our position and fight. I think that reducing three points to Chelsea was important. “

Club captain Hugo Lloris took a far more realistic perspective of the club’s new-found circumstances in the title race, and challenged himself and his team-mates to firstly seal their top-four spot before considering the title. They currently lie nine point ahead of fifth-place Manchester United, with the Red Devils and Arsenal just behind in sixth, having a game in hand.

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“Honestly, it doesn’t change my mind or the minds of my team-mates,” Lloris told the London Evening Standard.

“We’re still focused on ourselves. We need to carry on because it’s very tight in the league behind us. Anything can happen so it’s important to stay involved, to stay together and keep fighting until the end because we want to finish as high as possible in this league and be back in the Champions League.

“We don’t talk about the title because even seven points is a big gap at this stage of the season.”

One man who does believe that adding silverware to the trophy cabinet will become crucial before too long is BBC Match of the Day pundit and former Premier League winner, Alan Shearer. The former Blackburn, Newcastle and England star wrote in his Sunday column for The Sun that Spurs must press home their advantage and finish above Arsenal this year for the sake of local pride, but warned that their long-term goals must become greater if they are to retain some of their young stars.

“We still don’t know if this season will be their last at White Hart Lane, but if they want their top players to be with them at their new home, they need to pick up some silverware”, Shearer writes.

“There is no doubt the big clubs will soon be sniffing around some of their stars. But top players want to win things, so that’s what Spurs must do.

“Tottenham fans will also love the fact they are well clear of Arsenal. And if they don’t finish above Arsenal this year, they probably never will. In the long-term, though, Tottenham need to be thinking much higher than just toppling the Gunners.”

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Meanwhile, the club waits on the results of a scan on Harry Winks’ ankle, with fears the midfielder may be out for the remainder of the season after being forced off at Turf Moor on Saturday. Erik Lamela is another who is already confirmed to be out for 2016/17, but underwent successful surgery on his troublesome hip, of which the player posted on his Instagram account on Sunday.

Featured Image: All Rights Reserved by Diego Gaona.