‘Chelsea looking very strong’: Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen insists team must keep pushing

■ Tottenham v Watford, Saturday at 3.30pm UAE time

Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen has said his team must keep pushing for the Premier League title despite trailing Chelsea by an imposing seven points with eight games remaining.

Spurs, currently second in the league, completed a remarkable comeback to defeat Swansea City 3-1 on Wednesday, while Chelsea remained on course for their fifth league title with a 2-1 win over fourth-placed Manchester City.

"Chelsea is looking very strong but we can't stop pushing and dreaming of the league," Vertonghen told the club website.

“They had a big win but they have a couple of difficult games coming up. We have to keep winning and hopefully they get a bit stressed.”

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Spurs are set for their second consecutive top-four league finish under Mauricio Pochettino and Vertonghen believes their rivals now consider the North London club as one of the main title contenders.

“Teams are thinking about us now if they’re talking about league wins or top four. Before it was that Tottenham will finish fifth or sixth,” the Belgian defender added.

“I don’t know what is necessary to win the league — maybe a bit of luck — but I think this group has massive quality and is very special.”

Chelsea, who must face sixth-placed Manchester United and seventh-placed Everton on the road, visit 13th-placed Bournemouth on Saturday.

Spurs, who have won their last five league encounters, host 10th-placed Watford on the same day.

* Reuters

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