Pochettino Prepares To Face Former Club Spurs In Crucial Premier League Clash

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino anticipates another emotional night as his team faces his former club Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Thursday. However, he emphasized that his main priority is securing all three points at Stamford Bridge.

Pochettino led Spurs to the 2019 Champions League final and turned them into Premier League title contenders, achieving top-four finishes for four consecutive seasons. However, he was sacked after a five-year at Tottenham Hotspur.

Chelsea appointed Pochettino in May of last year and currently sits in ninth place in the league standings with five matches left to play. Meanwhile, Spurs are in fifth position with 60 points, trailing fourth-placed Aston Villa by seven points. Aston Villa has played two more games than Spurs.

“It was special when we played there (when Chelsea played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November). It was my first time since leaving the club, but now it is a different time,” Pochettino told reporters on Wednesday. “It will be emotional coming up against people who I worked with for a long period. I can’t hide my emotion for the club. I think it is going to be emotional because facing a former team, where the history was good, you remember that”.

He continued, “But I have said before – across the 90 minutes we want to win and Tottenham is going to come here to try and win. It will be a good game.”

In the previous encounter in November, Chelsea beat Spurs 4-1, during which the home team had two players sent off, halting their unbeaten run at the start of the season.

Thursday’s game will mark Pochettino’s 400th game as a manager in England. Pochettino was also in charge of Southampton from 2013-14.

“Amazing, a dream come true…,” the Argentine said. “Tottenham was amazing also because the challenge was to create a team that could challenge and compete with top sides”.

He stated, “Now, arriving at Chelsea, it is an amazing club with an amazing history. It is in the process of building an exciting project that needs time and that is maybe the most challenging period.”

Defenders Axel Disasi and Thiago Silva have joined Chelsea’s extensive injury list, which includes midfielder Enzo Fernandez, left-back Ben Chilwell, and right-back Malo Gusto, along with several other players.