Ange Postecoglou has admitted Thursday’s Europa League last-16 second leg against AZ Alkmaar is the biggest game of Tottenham’s season.
Last month, Spurs were knocked out of both domestic cup competitions within the space of three days, leaving the Europa League as their only hope this season of winning a first piece of major silverware since 2008.
Tottenham have lost 14 of their 27 Premier League matches this term and are sat in 13th place as a result.
After hosting high-flying Bournemouth in a league game on Sunday, attention turns to next Thursday, when they must overturn their 1-0 deficit from the first leg following Thursday’s defeat in Alkmaar, settled by an own goal from Lucas Bergvall.
In the aftermath of that defeat in the Netherlands, captain Heung-min Son called the performance and result a “big wake-up call”, adding that the second leg “next week is the biggest game of the season”.
Asked whether he agreed with Son’s sentiment, Postecoglou replied: “The biggest game of the season is Sunday, first. But I know where Sonny is coming from.
“Look, if we want to continue in that competition, we have to win it [the second leg]. We have to win on Thursday night, and if we don’t, we’re out.
“In that context, and it’s the only competition left for us to try and win something, yes, it’s definitely the biggest game. But I’m going to make sure that none of them are thinking about that.
“I’m going to make sure today [Friday] that they are all thinking about Sunday, because Sunday is really important for us.”
