Tottenham have ‘long way to go’ in Champions League fight, Hugo Lloris insists

Spurs are favourites to finish in the top four after all of their rivals slipped up over the weekend

Hugo Lloris has demanded Tottenham maintain focus in the race for Champions League qualification (Zac Goodwin/PA) (PA Wire)

Tottenham Hotspur captain Hugo Lloris will not allow his side to think they have got the job done in the race for Champions League qualification.

Spurs enjoyed a potentially decisive weekend of results as they beat Aston Villa 4-0 while Arsenal, Manchester United, West Ham and Wolves all lost.

That leaves them three points ahead of Arsenal, with a better goal difference, going into their final seven fixtures of the season and, despite the Gunners having a game in hand, Spurs are favourites to finish in the top four.

Tottenham have won four games in a row and six of their last seven in the league, but it was only eight matches ago that boss Antonio Conte suggested he could walk away as the job was too big for him.

Lloris says Spurs have to remember where they came from and cannot rest on their laurels.

“I believe there’s very good potential (for this team)”, he said. “And with confidence you can grow ever faster. But again, in football, from one game to another, everything can turn very quickly. That’s why we need to be cautious.

“We know where we come from and we cannot forget that. That’s very important, especially in this season. We need to continue our work, our way.

“It’s the competition that everyone wants to be involved in. But also we’re in the Premier League and the ticket to the Champions League is very tough, probably more difficult than in other leagues.

“But that’s the game. There’s still a long way to go. Even if we came back and we’re in the race, there’s still seven games to play.”

Although Spurs’ 4-0 scoreline at Villa suggests an easy evening, it was anything but and only an inspired display from Lloris in the first half kept the rampant hosts at bay.

Despite hitting form and winning six of their last seven games, Lloris knows the remaining fixtures are not a foregone conclusion.

“It’s difficult to control everything for 90 minutes because this is the Premier League, with a lot of talented players, with a lot of competitive teams and top managers,” he said.

“Every time you face a new opponent it’s a new challenge, with a new system, different skills. That’s why we all enjoy the Premier League.

“But with one game a week, we try to prepare as good as we can and I think we can be satisfied because we get rewarded for the work we do every week.

“But again, we have to stay focused on our main target and be focused on ourselves, not the others. There’s still seven games to play and 21 points to play for. We need to push until the end.”