Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that the match against Crystal Palace this weekend holds the same importance for his team as the one they played against Real Madrid in the Champions League in midweek.
After last weekend's disappointment against Manchester United, the Lilywhites bounced back in the best possible fashion to win 3-1 against the Spanish champions on Wednesday.
However, now that a place in the last 16 of the Champions League is secured, Pochettino wants his team to concentrate on the league and in an attempt to try and narrow down the gap between themselves and league leaders Manchester City.
Responding to questions asked at a press conference about how important the match is going to be, the manager said: "Every game is important. Of course, it’s massive for us, the game.
"When we finished the game after Real Madrid, we were sitting with the coaching staff in the manager’s room.
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"We knew it was a fantastic victory but we started planning the next game and not only the next game but the game against Arsenal all that are to come."
On the result against Manchester United and the disappointment following it, Pochettino said that the such things can happen but they will have to take them in their stride and move on to the next game.
"For us it’s so important to reduce the gap. It’s true the game against Manchester United was very painful – to lose the way we lost. But sometimes football can happen like that.
"Now it’s important, after that victory against Real Madrid, after qualifying for the next stage of the Champions League, to be focused on the game against Crystal Palace."
Crystal Palace may be bottom of the Premier League, but Pochettino rates the match's importance as alongside the Real Madrid game.
"It has the same value as the Real Madrid game, the game against Crystal Palace."
