- Title: Spurs expect tough Leicester encounter
- Date: 28th October 2016
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 28, 2016) (REUTERS) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER MAURICIO POCHETTINO ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERA OPERATOR FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER MAURICIO POCHETTINO, SAYING: "It's not unrealistic, I think that they signed good players. As a team, it's normal that it's difficult to keep the level that they showed last season. Today, they are involved in one competition more and that is the Champions League. It's difficult because you spend a lot of energy in that competition and to share with the Premier League is very very tough. It's their first experience like us to play in the Champions League, the main differences from us are not easy stuff but still they are a very good team, good players, and it will be a very tough game on Saturday." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER MAURICIO POCHETTINO, SAYING: "No, at the moment so far we expect that. I think it's a very competitive season, there are a lot of club teams that are fighting to be at the top of the table, and I think this season will be tough and competitive. Maybe we need to the last game to know which team lifts the trophy in the end. But it's good for us, it's good for the Premier League and it's good news for football." VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS IN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER MAURICIO POCHETTINO, ASKED ABOUT HARRY KANE'S RETURN TO MATCH ACTION FROM INJURY, SAYING: "It's difficult to know, but we'll see. Maybe, the evolution (recovery) is great in the next few days and maybe survive (he returns) on Wednesday or maybe Sunday, or maybe we wait two weeks." REPORTER ASKING: "Perhaps, you haven't ruled him out for the Champions League game or the north London derby?" "Maybe, maybe, maybe. Not sure. If not, we need to wait two weeks after the international break." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS VARIOUS OF JOURNALIST TYPING INTO LAPTOP COMPUTER DURING NEWSER CLOSE OF CAMERA FILMING NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING
- Embargoed: 12th November 2016 14:09
- Keywords: Tottenham Hotspur Leicester City Premier League Mauricio Pochettino Harry Kane
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00155X5ZJZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A few months after duelling for the Premier League title, Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City have yet to rediscover last season's killer consistency and both have a point to prove in Saturday's (October 29) clash at White Hart Lane.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said the champions will be distracted by their Champions League debut season but will still give the London club a tough encounter.
"I think that they signed good players. As a team, it's normal that it's difficult to keep the level that they showed last season. Today, they are involved in one competition more and that is the Champions League. It's difficult because you spend a lot of energy in that competition and to share with the Premier League is very very tough. It's their first experience like us to play in the Champions League, the main differences from us are not easy stuff but still they are a very good team, good players, and it will be a very tough game on Saturday."
The Premier League table currently has the top five teams within a point of each other after playing nine games each.
Manchester City are top on goal difference with 20 points along with Arsenal and Liverpool, while Chelsea and Spurs trail the trio by a single point.
Pochettino said he expected this season to be very close, potentially down to the wire.
"No, at the moment so far we expect that. I think it's a very competitive season, there are a lot of club teams that are fighting to be at the top of the table, and I think this season will be tough and competitive. Maybe we need to the last game to know which team lifts the trophy in the end. But it's good for us, it's good for the Premier League and it's good news for football," he added.
Spurs' 23 year-old star striker Harry Kane has been out for over a month with an ankle injury. Pochettino said his recovery could see him back in action in the midweek Champions League home game against Bayer Leverkusen, or next week's North London derby away to Arsenal.
"It's difficult to know, but we'll see. Maybe, the evolution (recovery) is great in the next few days and maybe survive (he returns) on Wednesday or maybe Sunday, or maybe we wait two weeks... If not, we need to wait two weeks after the international break."
Leicester are flailing in midtable, having won three of their opening nine games. For Claudio Ranieri's men, Saturday's encounter will give them an opportunity to win back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since April and fire up a title defence that has looked forlorn in the opening months of the season. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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