Cup semi-final hoodoo after Chelsea prevailed 4-2
at Wembley on Saturday.
Spurs twice pegged back the Premier League
leaders thanks to goals from Harry Kane and Dele
Alli and were in the ascendancy until Eden Hazard
came off the bench to land a decisive blow 15
minutes from time.
Nemanja Matic then added gloss to the scoreline
with a spectacular long-range strike that
condemned Tottenham to a seventh straight defeat
in the final four of the competition.
Paul Gascoigne was Tottenham's hero the last
time they won on such an occasion in 1991, but
Pochettino insisted he could not be concerned by
such trivialities and pointed towards the progress
White Hart Lane's current vintage are making.
"It's my first semi-final. I cannot change the past.
The past is the past. You need to deal with today,
the present to have a better future," he said at a
post-match news conference.
"I know that if you're a supporter you feel very
disappointed. You always want to win. In the
project and the moment that we are in I feel very
proud.
"The players are making a fantastic effort. I believe
this is an exciting team and it is only a matter of
time until we win."
Spurs return to Premier League action against
Crystal Palace on Wednesday and remain
Chelsea's only legitimate challengers for the title –
four points shy of Antonio Conte's men.
"To fight on that level with Chelsea, one of the best
teams in England, is a big thing for us," Pochettino
added.
"Two years ago it was difficult to think of us being
at that level – the semi-finals of the FA Cup and
fighting for the Premier League. Now it is a reality.
"We have to be careful how we build the team over
the next two years. It was not to be [in the FA Cup],
this season, but we will try again next season for
sure."
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