Mauricio Pochettino says final season at White Hart Lane is a special one
Friday 3 March 2017 23:42, UK
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino says their final season at White Hart Lane is special and admitted he is already starting to miss their home.
Spurs have only seven games left at their ground before the planned switch to Wembley next season, with Pochettino's men due to kick off in their new £700m stadium - located adjacent to their current stadium - in August 2018.
There has been relatively little fuss made so far surrounding the final weeks at Tottenham's home since 1899.
The club point to the fact they are not relocating, as much as just shifting next door, but they are also yet to confirm their move to Wembley, with the deadline fast approaching at the end of this month.
On the pitch, however, the players have risen to the occasion, with Spurs unbeaten at White Hart Lane this season and with a realistic chance of maintaining that record until the end of the campaign.
They host Everton on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, in the first of three matches left against the Premier League's top seven, with the other two coming at home to Arsenal and Manchester United in the last four games of the campaign.
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"It's true that it's special this season at White Hart Lane. We can all feel it," said Pochettino.
"You can feel that it's very special every time that we play. The people are more open to helping the team, the team is more focused, trying to pay back the supporters for that support.
"And yes, I think it's special. It's a moment when you start to feel very comfortable there. You start to miss it before you leave. Every time you are there, you miss it."
Tottenham have won 11 of their 13 games at home this season - only Chelsea have a better record - including victories over both Antonio Conte's side and Manchester City.
They also scored twice in the final two minutes to come back and beat West Ham 3-2 in November.
Everton will pose a threat to Spurs, having won five and drawn two of their seven league games this year, a run that included a 4-0 hammering of Manchester City in January.
Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring that day and Sunday's clash will see the Belgium international go head to head with Harry Kane, with whom he and Alexis Sanchez are tied at the top of Premier League scoring charts on 17 goals.
Kane, who is expected to shake off a knock to his knee to play, notched up his second hat-trick in seven days against Stoke last weekend and Pochettino offered an insight into his striker's relentless desire to improve.
"Sometimes he's upset because sometimes he wants to do finishing on the afternoon and we say 'no, it's not the moment, tomorrow'," Pochettino added.
"He says, 'no, but I want to today in the afternoon. I want to do double session'. I say, 'Harry, no. Harry, no.' He says, 'Oh gaffer, come on, I feel good, I am not tired.' I say, 'No, but it's not good for you.'
"Then it was, 'okay, at the end, maybe half an hour finishing' - even though we needed to call two or three keepers from the academy. That shows his determination and character."
Watch Tottenham v Everton on Super Sunday. Coverage begins on Sky Sports 1 HD at 12:30pm.
