Chelsea felt like 'a small team' to Tottenham - Pochettino

The Argentine lauded his men for outplaying the Premier League champions, and stated that morale is running high in the Spurs camp

Playing Chelsea felt like playing "a small team" to Tottenham, according to manager Mauricio Pochettino after Sunday's 0-0 draw.

Spurs had the majority of possession in their meeting with the defending Premier League champions at White Hart Lane, though there was nothing to separate the sides at the end.

Nevertheless, Pochettino was proud of the way his side restricted Chelsea to only one shot on target throughout the game, stating they showed they can more than compete with the best.

"We played the defending champions and it is good that you get the feeling that Chelsea was a small team and Tottenham feel they can win every game," the Argentine told reporters after the match.
"It's not easy. We are one of the younger teams in the Premier League.

"We need to keep working hard because there's only been 14 games and today it's too early to talk about the end of the season.

"I think we created enough chances to score. Chelsea only had one shot on target in the second half from [Eden] Hazard, so I think we deserved more.

"Chelsea played one of their best games of the season, and I think that when you make the effort we showed today – and the maturity – you have to be happy with the players."

Tottenham lost Ryan Mason to injury during the second half, and Pochettino hopes the midfielder will not be ruled out long term.

"We will assess him tomorrow and we will see, but we hope that it's not a big issue. He has a problem in his ankle," the manager added.

Sunday's result saw Tottenham move fifth in the Premier League table, four points behind leaders Manchester City.