Antonio Conte says Tottenham Hotspur securing a top-four finish would feel like winning the Champions League or the Premier League title.
Spurs thrashed Everton 5-0 on Monday night to move within three points of fourth-placed Arsenal — having played a game more — as Harry Kane struck twice in an easy victory.
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Michael Keane‘s 14th-minute own goal gave Spurs an advantage they steadily extended through Heung-Min Son and then Kane before substitute Sergio Reguilon struck just 41 seconds in into the second half.
Kane’s second, a fine volley from Matt Doherty‘s angled pass, took the England captain above Thierry Henry to sixth place on the Premier League’s all-time scorers list with 176 career goals.
But thoughts quickly turned to the battle for Champions League football, which continues with Saturday’s trip to fifth-placed Manchester United and Conte said: “We’ll try to do everything and at the end we’ll see what happens. Now we have only 12 games to play, not a trophy to play for. For this reason it’s right to take the responsibility, me, myself, I have to be the first.
“You know I don’t like to speak about ambition and reaching a place in the Champions League because I like to play to win the league and win trophies, but in this situation this could be our Champions League, our Premier League title if we are able to reach fourth place.
“It’s right to celebrate but at the same time we have to be focused and from tomorrow we have to start to think Saturday it will be a crucial game for us and I repeat, it’s right to celebrate the players that they are doing fantastic things.
“But at the same time I want my players to celebrate but don’t lose the focus, don’t lose our target. We have 12 games to play and they have to be finals for us.
“I repeat, now I put this target to my team that we have to try stay until the end very close to the top team and to try and do something important. I repeat, to finish in the top four for us it would be we won the Champions League or Premier League this season.”
