Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte said his team could “feel the blood” of their rivals and capitalised on their slips as the north London club tightened their grip on the fourth place in the Premier League with a 4-0 win at Aston Villa.
Son Heung-min’s hat-trick on Saturday helped Tottenham open a three-point lead over rivals Arsenal, with Conte’s team fourth in the league on 57 points after 31 matches. Arsenal are fifth on 54 points, having played one match less.
Manchester United’s defeat at Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ defeat at Newcastle United also helped Tottenham strengthen their grip on the fourth spot.
Conte said he was pleased with the attitude and composure of his players who dealt with pressure in the first half against Villa before sealing the victory in the second half with a counter-attacking performance.
“It was a great win for us, especially coming after your rivals have played and lost: Wolverhampton, Manchester United and Arsenal,” Conte said.
“In this moment you start to feel the blood. It is important in this moment not to fail. We are working a lot on the mentality and the players are giving me satisfaction.
“At the same time, I know we have to work on this improvement. Because there are not only the tactical, technical and physical aspects but there is the mentality. There is a lot of space for improvement.”
Tottenham next host 11th-placed Brighton & Hove Albion on April 16.
More Stories
Piquet Ordered To Pay $950k For Racist, Homophobic Comments
Afghan Skipper Rashid Hails Maiden T20 Win Against Pakistan
Son’s Two-Goal Show Delights New South Korea Boss Klinsmann
Guinea-Bissau Upset Nigeria, Morocco Reach Finals In Nations Cup Qualifying
Mexico Submits Bid To Host 2036 Summer Games
Saka Double Against Palace Sends Arsenal Eight Points Clear
Doyle’s Late Strike Fires Sheffield United Into FA Cup Semis
France Still On Track For Home World Cup Despite losing Six Nations Title
Ronaldo Hands Team Mate Winning Penalty As Gesture Of Respect
Hamilton “At A Bit Of A Loss” With His Mercedes
Pundits Rail Against England Red Card
Ibrahimovic Becomes Oldest Scorer As Toothless Milan Lose At Udinese