Tottenham boss Antonio Conte believes his side’s mix of dogged defending and fine finishing in Saturday’s 4-0 win at Aston Villa bodes well for their Champions League qualification chances.
Spurs moved three points clear of Arsenal in the race for fourth place in the Premier League as Son Heung-min scored a hat-trick and Hugo Lloris made a number of excellent saves at Villa Park.
“We are pleased – it was not an easy game but we showed resilience in the first half when Villa tried to put a lot of pressure on us,” Conte told BBC Match of the Day.
“Every time we tried to play the ball and have a chance we did score.
“To be resilient is important if we want to be a top team, in every game there are moments when the opponent can create difficulty and if we are not strong you will never win something or do something important.
“Seven games to go and we are showing that we are deserving to stay in the race for a place in the Champions League.
“We need to continue to work with this application and intensity and desire because the club deserve much better than fighting for fifth, sixth or seventh. I like to be competitive.”
(BBC Sport)
