Pochettino focused on recovery after Europa League triumph

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino said his side would focus on physical and mental recovery after their 3-0 win over Fiorentina took them through to the last 16 of the Europa League.

Goals from Ryan Mason and Erik Lamela, along with an own goal from Fiorentina’s Argentinian defender Gonzalo Rodriguez, ensured Spurs earned victory over the side who dumped them out of the same competition a year earlier.

The win was Spurs’ eighth in 10 games across all competitions, and Pochettino reflected on a satisfactory night at White Hart Lane.

He said: “I’m very proud of the team and the performance. It was good to see and it’s job done. A fantastic job.

“We have great motivation in two competitions. We’re in a good position in the Premier League table, but we need to recover quickly because we’re in a period where we play a lot of games.

“We need to recover not only our bodies but our minds too, to make sure we’re in a good condition to compete against Swansea.”

Midfielder Dele Alli gave one of his best performances in European competition on the night, but will miss the first leg of Tottenham’s last 16 tie after he was booked for simulation in the second half against Fiorentina.

Alli was booked in the first leg when he appeared to kick Fiorentina’s Nenad Tomovic, but Pochettino saw no reason to chastise the 19-year-old after he picked up a suspension.

“For me, it wasn’t a yellow card,” said Pochettino.

“I was very happy after last week in Florence, and he was calm against Crystal Palace [in Spurs’ previous match in the FA Cup].

“This was another good performance from him.”