How important was the character of your team in the first half and especially Hugo Lloris' display?
Very, very important. A strong team, a top team needs to have great character, great personality, to be strong mentally because during the game you know you can have a period that you have to suffer because your opponent is pushing you a lot. Today the first half was difficult, but we knew this because when you play against Aston Villa away in this stadium, this fantastic atmosphere, I don't think there is one team that comes here and wins easy.
For this reason, I appreciate the effort of my players. The composure and desire to stay strong and then in the second half I think we won the game in an important way. For sure we have to be better when there is type of pressure and we have to continue to have the personality to try and play because every time we played we created a chance to score. If you are an opponent that puts a pressure and you take the risk to play then you have space to attack. I think we have to continue to do this and improve. In the second half we were much better, also because the intensity of Aston Villa dropped and the pressure was less than the first half.
It was a great win for us, it wasn't easy. But a great win, especially when you play a game after the games of your rivals in the race for the Champions League and they lost. Wolverhampton, Manchester United and Arsenal. We had to show in this moment that you start to feel the blood of your opponent and it is important to not fail. For this reason we are working a lot on the mentality. The players are giving me great satisfaction in many aspects.
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Were you angry at half-time?
I like to see my team to play in every moment. In the first half we suffered a bit of pressure, the intensity of the pressure. We are working to try to face this type of situation and overcome it in the best possible way. Today we did this, a great improvement. The game wasn't easy, but we made the game easy.
That's eight goals in eight games for Son, how important is it that he keeps scoring if Kane doesn't?
First of all the most important thing is to win. Full stop. It is not important for me who scores. For sure we are scoring a lot of goals because there is a great link, a great connection between these three players in attack. Don't forget we have two good players behind them in Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn, but it is the whole team that I working very well.
We are creating chances with the whole team. We are working a lot on the tactical aspect. For sure to have more time to have more days to work to prepare the game. Six days or seven days for me was really, really important because don't forget I arrived at Tottenham in November and I arrived during the season you have to bring your idea of football and at the same time you have to play for three points.
Then give the rest to players, don't push the players a lot because they have to play. A lot of difficulty. Not to have six, seven days to prepare our game is very important and this is is the big difference than the past.
Arsenal lost, were you able to use that as motivation to your players going into the game?
I said this before Arsenal, United and then Wolverhampton and West Ham are with us in the same race for a place in the Champions League. To know that your opponent lose their games, and for sure they have to give you the right desire, right will to get three points because in one hand you know our rivals lose the game if we lose, but we are always in the fourth place.
A little medium team can think this. A top, strong team think that it is the right moment to improve the distance over your rivals and exploit this situation. We did this despite the difficulty of the game. I repeat we didn't play with a team no good, we played against Aston Villa in this stadium, it's not easy for no one to win here.
How is Matt Doherty?
I hope nothing serious, I hope. The doctors are going to check on him tomorrow. I hope nothing serious because he wanted to try to continue to play but then at the end he preferred to come out. I hope so because Matthew is an important player for us and I hope this injury is not serious.
How satisfying is it to see now that mental strength that you come here and win the game despite a tough first half?
For sure to see his type of improvement make me proud, give me great satisfaction. At the same time I know very well we have to continue to work under this aspect. The same players know very well they have to continue for this type of improvement because there is not only a tactical or technical or physical aspect during the game. There is the mentality. The mentality they know we have a lot of space for improvement. Today they showed me that the desire to also improve this aspect.
Don't forget in the past there was a game when I was very upset but with the players we have an honest relationship. They know that I like to tell them everything that is true and not a good lie because I want to improve my players. I think there is a good connection, good relationship with me and the players because the players trust me, but especially me and the staff we trust a lot to them.
Now we have to continue in this way. Rest but at the same time we have to prepare the game against Brighton. Brighton won against Arsenal, is a really good team and if we win here and then don't win Saturday you cancel a bit the positive thing you did. For this reason we rest one day then our focus has to be for the next game.
