Jose Mourinho told Tottenham Hotspur players at half-time that a win was crucial, names Hugo Lloris as his man of the match

Tottenham Hotspur grabbed their 12th victory of the Premier League campaign at the expense of West Ham United last night, with an own goal from Tomas Soucek and a Harry Kane strike handing them a 2-0 win.

It saw Spurs close in on their rivals for next season’s Champions League berths, and boss Jose Mourinho has praised goalkeeper Hugo Lloris for his consistent and dominant performance, naming the Frenchman as his man of the match.

West Ham attempted 10 shots, but only two found the target and the Tottenham skipper had no trouble keeping them out.

The hosts were slow and did struggle to break the Hammers’ defensive organization in the first-half, but a pep talk from Mourinho in the dressing room spurred them into action.

The Portuguese told Spurs players that securing all three points was not only important but also very crucial to their chances of featuring in Europe’s elite competition next term.

Finishing in the top-five will guarantee a place in the Champions League if Manchester City’s ban is upheld, and the North Londoners can grab a spot if they win their remaining seven games.

Yesterday’s victory came handy, and it will be interesting to see if they can do the same against Sheffield United, Everton, Bournemouth, Arsenal, Newcastle United, Leicester City and Crystal Palace.