Hugo Lloris says Tottenham deserve credit after finishing above their London rivals and securing Champions League qualification despite playing at Wembley all season.
Spurs edged past Newcastle United on Wednesday night as Chelsea could only manage a draw with Huddersfield Town at Stamford Bridge.
As a result, Tottenham moved four points clear of Chelsea and thus cannot be caught on the final day of the campaign.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have now qualified for the Champions League in three successive seasons.
They will also end the current campaign as London’s top club, finishing both Chelsea and fierce rivals Arsenal.
That’s despite having to play their home games at Wembley while the new stadium is being constructed.
And Lloris believes the entire team deserves credit for their achievement.
“To be in the Champions League three times in a row means a lot; to be above Chelsea and Arsenal, I think we deserve credit,” said the Spurs skipper (via Sky Sports).
“Not a lot of people believed at the beginning of the season in Tottenham for the top four places and I think today means more than a trophy because we showed the club is strong even if we had some difficult moments.
“We need to enjoy it because we’ve played 37 games away from home – that’s the feeling to be honest.
“You can say whatever you want, but Tottenham isn’t at its home ground and I think the most exciting thing is that next season we will play Champions League in our new stadium.
“For the fans, the club, the players, the coaching and medical staff it’s a big, big achievement but we need to keep working and to stay ambitious because the next step is to win something.”
Tottenham can now enjoy the final game of the season against Leicester City at Wembley knowing their Champions League spot is secured.
In fact, Spurs can still finish third with a win against the Foxes – not bad after playing away from home all season.
