MX23RW : Wednesday, January 15 23:54:54| >> :60:825:825:
[monks data]
Crystal Palace logo
Premier League | Gameweek 38
Jul 26, 2020 at 4pm UK
Selhurst Park
Spurs logo

Crystal Palace
1 - 1
Spurs

Schlupp (53')
McCarthy (17'), Mitchell (49'), Kouyate (75')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Kane (13')
Alderweireld (61'), Dier (90+1')

Jose Mourinho sets sights on return to Champions League

Jose Mourinho sets sights on return to Champions League
© Reuters
Tottenham finished sixth, above Wolves on goal difference, after Sunday's draw at Selhurst Park.

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho is keen to get his side back "where we belong" after they sealed Europa League qualification with a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace.

Spurs were 14th when the Portuguese took over in November but he has steered them to sixth place after they finished above Wolves on goal difference.

It was not done in style after a nervy draw at Selhurst Park, where Harry Kane's goal was cancelled out by Jeffrey Schlupp, with Mourinho admitting he was "ultra pragmatic" after he found out Wolves were losing at Chelsea.

Mourinho has promised to embrace the Europa League next season, after four years in the Champions League for the club, while looking to improve on Premier League form.

"What we can do of course is improve," he said. "When all the players are available we showed in this last period where we belong. I don't know, maybe in this period, after lockdown, we finished third or fourth in the table.

"So that's where we belong. I want to have my team, my players, not a medical room full of players. I want a pitch full of players.

"Of course as a squad the main thing is to keep our very good players and after that improve the squad.

"Are we going to buy 10 players? No. Are we going to buy players for £100million? No. We are going to improve.

"I enjoy working with Steve (Hitchen – Spurs' chief scout) in this organisation. We are very connected with (chairman) Mr (Daniel) Levy and the board and we're going to do what is possible to do and hopefully next season we can give it to the fans a very good season."

Mourinho has masterminded a six-game unbeaten run to deliver qualification, overturning a seven-point gap from sixth after a loss at Sheffield United earlier this month.

"I think the players deserve," he said. "Of course everybody that one day plays Champions League doesn't want to go back and play Europa League but (it) was the only thing possible after such a difficult season for club, for the players and in my case also for myself.

"But arriving 14th and handling things is not bad at all. I am quite happy next season we play in Europa League and it's just a question to motivate ourselves for that competition and try to motivate the fans to support us and try to do something beautiful."

Palace were full value for their draw and could even have won it.

After Kane's deadly finish in the 13th minute Spurs failed to have another shot on target and Palace deservedly levelled through Schlupp's second-half strike.

The draw means they stopped a seven-game losing streak and end the season on a positive.

"It could have been all three. It was a good performance against a top-quality side and I think if any team was to win it it was going to be us, I think we shaded it," boss Roy Hodgson said.

"But the important thing was to break this very unfortunate run of results that we have had, where I don't think fate has been very kind to us. We have played better than our results suggest.

"(I'm pleased) to actually finish the season on a positive note. We have gone out again with a wounded team, and taken on Tottenham and deservedly taken a point from them.

"That was the worst possible start. But we never gave up, we got back into the game, we created chances and in the second half we got our reward. It was important to break that sequence because it is not a sequence anyone wants to carry.

"It has been a very bad Covid period for us, not just in terms of results but also in terms of the burden we have had to face."

ID:408036: cacheID:408036:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5174:
Written by
P A
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Aston Villa's Jack Grealish celebrates scoring against West Ham United in the Premier League on July 26, 2020
Read Next:
Premier League roundup: Aston Villa survive as Bournemouth and Watford go down
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool20145148202847
2Arsenal21127241192243
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest21125430201041
4Newcastle UnitedNewcastle21115537221538
5Chelsea21107441261537
6Manchester CityMan City2110563829935
7Aston Villa2110563132-135
8Bournemouth219753225734
9Fulham217953230230
10Brentford218494037328
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2061043029128
12West Ham UnitedWest Ham217592741-1426
13Tottenham HotspurSpurs21731143321124
14Crystal Palace215972328-524
15Manchester UnitedMan Utd206592328-523
16Everton203891526-1117
17Ipswich TownIpswich2037102035-1516
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2144133148-1716
19Leicester CityLeicester2135132346-2314
20Southampton2013161244-326


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!