Leicester are the real deal, warns Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino after Foxes raid White Hart Lane

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino believes that his side’s defeat by Leicester City proves that Claudio Ranieri’s men deserve to finish in the top four of the Premier League.

Spurs could have moved to within a point of Leicester had they clinched victory at White Hart Lane on Wednesday, but instead they sit seven points behind their visitors after falling to Robert Huth’s late header.

Leicester’s 1-0 victory moved them level on points with leaders Arsenal at the summit of the division, as they ended their run of three games without a goal or a win.

The prospect of Champions League football remains a strong possibility for both clubs, with Pochettino striving to put Spurs back among Europe’s elite for the first time in six years.

But it is Leicester who are best-placed to achieve that and the Spurs manager believes they will finish in the top four, less than a year after their dramatic escape from relegation last season.

“I think they deserve it,” said Pochettino when asked if he thought Ranieri’s side could maintain their form.

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“Full credit to them. I’m very disappointed, but I think they deserve to finish in the place that they are.