Mauricio Pochettino has insisted Tottenham have bigger ambitions than finishing above Arsenal and claimed he will be “very disappointed” if they don’t win the Premier League title.
Spurs are four points behind leaders Chelsea but can confirm a higher League placing than the Gunners for the first time in 22 years with victory in Sunday’s north London derby at White Hart Lane.
Arsenal fans have enjoyed a long supremacy over their bitter rivals to the extent the point at which Spurs can no longer mathematically finish above them each year has become an annual celebration known as ‘St Totteringham’s Day’.
Pochettino admitted he had not heard the term before and believes his squad’s focus should be on overhauling Chelsea at the top of the table.
“I understand [the rivalry] but my feeling is now when we are so close, only four points – but it’s massive with five games to play – I will be very disappointed if we don’t win the title,” he said.
“I will start to think of the good things that have happened this season and be realistic to analyse the season. But I really don’t think about in which position is Arsenal. My view about things is to try to win every game and try to win the Premier League and then we’ll see.
“We will have time to be happy but for different things. We are professionals and it’s important to give our best and be ourselves and try to achieve ourselves and not just see what happens next to us.
“My challenge and my aim is not to be above Arsenal. My challenge and my aim is to be above 19 teams and be on the top. That is my challenge, my aim, my dream. I don’t care what happens with Arsenal, with all my respect. What I care is what happens with us. That’s our big, big challenge at Tottenham.
“I really don’t care about that celebration [St Totteringham’s Day]. My English is so bad I don’t read or listen too much. We are here to help the club to achieve things to be better every day and every season. Of course, we want to win and we’re focused on that and not on other things.”
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