Tottenham v Chelsea: Mauricio Pochettino won't blame Wembley for any result

Spurs have won on just one of their last nine visits to the stadium and face champions Chelsea there in Sunday’s eagerly-awaited London derby.

But Pochettino claims talk of a Wembley curse is nonsense and has challenged his players to put an end to it by beating the Blues.

He said: “Wembley is not the problem. We are the problem. Please. Stop. Wembley is the most important place in the world.

“If we are not able to win there it’s not because of Wembley. It’s because of us. It’s the most exciting to place to play. It’s where football is born.

“In Spain it was a big dream to play there. Now I can play there maybe three times a week, and it’s a problem? Ah, come on. It’s not a problem. I love to play there!”

Spurs played Champions League and Europa League football at Wembley last season but will play all their home games there this time around while their new stadium is being built.

Pochettino said: “Last season we played Champions League and one Europa League game at Wembley. It’s completely different.

“Now our challenge is to make Wembley our home. Before, when we had to move there from the Lane, it was the perfect excuse for everyone. Now it’s not an excuse.”

Some pundits have claimed Spurs struggle at Wembley because the pitch is bigger than they are used to.

But Pochettino said: “We need to perform and give our best. Many pitches have the same size as Wembley. It’s not an excuse.”

And he will not be changing a single thing about how Spurs prepare for matches there.

The Spurs boss said: “We won’t change anything because we don’t believe that was our problem.

“Only that we create one pitch on the training ground the same size as Wembley to train on that pitch. But we will not change anything. The preparation will be the same. It was the same.”