Newcastle blocking Pochettino's path towards first English trophy

LONDON : Mauricio Pochettino endured several near-misses with Tottenham Hotspur and left without winning any silverware so Chelsea's League Cup quarter-final at home to Newcastle United will not be taken lightly by the Argentine.

Pochettino's main priority might be to revive Chelsea's Premier League fortunes and return the club to the Champions League arena, but he needs no reminding that he is still without any honours in English football.

The last time Chelsea won the League Cup was in 2015 when they beat Pochettino's Tottenham. Pochettino also took Spurs close to winning the Premier League, to the Champions League final and back-to-back FA Cup semi-finals.

"Of course, I want to win a trophy here in England. I want to lift a trophy now in this competition because it is important," Pochettino told reporters when asked whether the League Cup had become more important this season given Chelsea's mid-table position in the Premier League.

"It means a lot because we want to deliver the job for our club. Delivering a trophy, the most important thing is to win. It's difficult to measure, it is a priority. It's in our mind, our objective, we need to be ready tomorrow to be closer to winning a title. My desire is to win."

Pochettino's first season at Stamford Bridge has been a difficult one so far as he tries to find the right formula for an expensively-assembled squad, although they earned a much-needed win against bottom club Sheffield United at the weekend.

While he won the French league title and French Cup during a spell at Paris St Germain, Pochettino's CV still looks lightweight, although he is not losing sleep over it.

"You need to be in the right club, in the right moment with all of the elements to win," he said. "To be an