Football
Dan Kilpatrick, Tottenham Correspondent 7y

Tottenham can match Chelsea and Man City on the pitch - Jan Vertonghen

Jan Vertonghen has said Tottenham cannot compete financially with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea but believes they can match them on the pitch, and they can prove it by winning a trophy this season.

Spurs recovered from back-to-back defeats to Liverpool and Gent with an impressive 3-0 win at Fulham in Sunday's FA Cup fifth-round, booking a quarterfinal tie against London rivals Millwall of League One.

Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea are also in the draw for the last eight, however, while Spurs' hopes of winning the Europa League depend on overturning a 1-0 deficit against Gent in Thursday's round-of-32 second leg.

"We played a final against Chelsea at Wembley [in the Capital One Cup] a couple of years ago and we want more of that," Vertonghen, who returned from injury at Fulham, told the London Evening Standard.

"I won some silverware at Ajax and it's the best thing there is in football. I think this team and the technical staff deserve a trophy with this club.

"We've improved a lot [since our last final]. It's only two years but we've got stronger. The gaffer has had time to work with us and we understand the way he wants us to play. We're a lot stronger than then and we've shown that in the last couple of years.

"I think money-wise you can't compare [with teams like Chelsea and Manchester City] but on the pitch the team is as strong as theirs, definitely."

Pochettino has tended to rotate in the cups but he picked strong teams against Gent and Fulham, with Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Victor Wanyama and Toby Alderweireld starting both.

"I think the manager understands the importance of the Europa League and the FA Cup as well and it's good we take it very seriously," Vertonghen added.

"We want to win both and compete in the league as well, and I think our team is fit enough to cope with these things. I can only talk for myself but I like to play as many games as possible and maybe [it's the same for] the other guys as well.

"It's good to rotate a couple of players like [Kyle] Walker and [Eric] Dier this time. Next time maybe it will be two or three others."

Vertonghen missed five matches after suffering ankle ligament damage against West Brom in January but he played the full match at Craven Cottage, and said: "Playing 90 minutes after five weeks out isn't tricky but you never know what you're going to get, so I'm happy.

"I'm used to ankle recoveries now and I worked very hard with the medical staff. All went very well, I didn't have any setbacks so hopefully it will stay like this until the end of the season."

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