Tottenham Hotspur coach Mauricio Pochettino says the side's Champions League final loss to Liverpool left his players and staff feeling 'empty'.
On Sunday, the clubs will meet for the first time since that fateful encounter, with the Reds having won all bar one of their Premier League matches this term. They hold a five-point lead over second place Leicester City - who have played a game more than those around them - while Spurs' troubles have seen them get off to a sluggish start.
Tottenham have taken the victory in just three of their nine league fixtures in 2019/20, leaving them 13 points behind Liverpool ahead of their rematch at Anfield.
Discussing his team's 2-0 defeat in Madrid last June, Pochettino revealed (as quoted by the Sun): "It was tough. The last game of the season, the final of the Champions League is all or nothing and in the end it was nothing.
"To be second, for us, because we’re so competitive in football, is nothing. It means a lot for the club to reach the final, but the players and staff felt empty after the game.
"With time you can say, okay, we played in the final of the Champions League, but we didn’t win and that will always be with you," the 47-year-old affirmed.
Despite their indifferent form this campaign, Pochettino believes Spurs are capable of exacting their revenge on the Merseysiders over the weekend, stating: "We beat Liverpool 4-1 two years ago.
"[Last season], we beat Ajax in the Champions League and Manchester City. I feel that we have an unbelievable squad and at our best can beat any team."
There had been calls from a section of the Tottenham fan-base for Pochettino to be sacked following the Lilywhites' dire run of results, which included a 7-2 hammering at home to Bayern Munich and an insipid 3-0 loss away to Brighton.
However, a 5-0 thrashing of Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday night eased the pressure on the Argentine and gave the squad a much-needed lift heading into the showdown with the Reds.
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Source: 90min
