José Mourinho Insists Man City's Champions League Ban Does Not Change Tottenham's Mindset

Tottenham Hotspur manager José Mourinho has insisted that his side remain focused on earning a place in the top four, despite Manchester City's Champions League ban meaning fifth place would be enough to qualify for Europe's elite competition.

City were hit with a two-year ban from European competition after being found guilty of breaching Financial Fair Play regulations, and as they currently occupy a spot in the top four, the vacant Champions League spot would be awarded to whichever side finishes fifth.

That will have undoubtedly come as a boost for ​Spurs, who are facing an uphill battle to reach the top four, but Mourinho insisted that his side only want to finish fourth, rather than settle for fifth.

"My views are that I didn't lose one single minute analysing what UEFA and FIFA have to analyse," he said after his side's dramatic 3-2 win over ​Aston Villa on Sunday.

"If I go into that analysis I have to ask if the team that finished second in 2018 is going to be champions?!

"That would be interesting. But jokes apart I just wait calmly. I don't think about fourth [position] or fifth. I just think about doing the best we can, [win] the most points we can, [finish] the best position we can.

"At the end of the season, we will see where we are because maybe we are sixth or seventh and then it doesn't matter if fifth goes to ​Champions League."

It's an understandable approach from Mourinho, given the competition for fifth. Currently, Spurs hold that spot with 40 points, but there are six teams who are all within six points of Mourinho's side.

"We have a big fight," he confessed. "You could see today [with] Villa fighting to stay in the division and us fighting for a top position how difficult it was.

"This is the Premier League so when we speak about fifth I think [the battle for] fifth, Wolves, Sheffield United, Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton, everybody looks to the table and week after week they say, 'we can do it'. And they can. So, it is going to be very hard."

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