Pochettino reacts after nine-man Spurs suffer damaging late defeat

Oli Fisher

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has said he respects the referee’s decisions which saw his side go down to nine men against Bournemouth.

Tottenham’s Premier League top-four fate will go down to the final day after they suffered a late 1-0 defeat on the south coast having had two men sent off.

Spurs would have guaranteed Champions League football next season had they won on the south coast but red cards for Son Heung-min and Juan Foyth killed their chances of that as they fell to Nathan Ake’s late goal.

They looked like they were going to earn a valiant point in what would have been their first away draw of the season until Ake headed home an injury-time corner for the Cherries.

“I don’t think too much, we can’t talk too much, we just need to prepare for next game,” Pochettino told Sky Sports.

“The first 40 minutes we played well and created chances but didn’t score. Then we know football can be cruel, they scored in the last minute. We need to move on.

“Nothing to say [on Son’s red card], I respect the decision of the referee. My honest opinion is we have to accept the decision of the referee, you cannot change the decision.

“Again, we need to respect the decision of the referee. It was unlucky for us. Nothing to say. with nine players we defended well and made a good game.

“We are third, we are competing for the top four and in the semi-finals of the Champions League. If you look back at first game of the season, to be in position we are in today, we’d be happy.”

 

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