Mauricio Pochettino urges Tottenham to prove they are a 'big club' with Europa League victory over Gent

Mauricio Pochettino has urged Tottenham to prove they deserve to be viewed as a "big club" in tonight's Europa League clash against Gent.

Spurs trail 1-0 from the first leg of their last-32 tie and must improve to avoid an early exit from Europe's secondary cup competition.

The north Londoners came up short in Belgium a week ago, prompting joyous scenes among the home team, who were thrilled to claim a sizeable Premier League scalp.

Pochettino's side will be expected to produce a reaction at Wembley this evening and the Argentine coach wants his players to use memories of Gent's celebrations as motivation.

“I still feel bad. For them, it was a big, big victory," Pochettino told Tottenham's official website.

"I listened to how they were after the game and it was a big party in the changing room. It was a big impact for us.

"Now we need to use that to try to win and go to the next round. They look at us like a big, big club and we need to show that we are a big club, have a big squad and big players."

A sell-out crowd is expected at the national stadium, where Spurs have struggled to produce their best form this season.

Harry Kane is convinced the ground should not be used as an excuse for poor performances and Pochettino has told Spurs to come flying out of the blocks as they attempt to overturn a one-goal deficit.

"In front of our supporters at Wembley, we need to show our quality, our aggression and show from the first moment that we want to go into the next round and deserve to be there.

“It’s not about Gent, as I say, it’s always about us. It’s about our performance, our belief and trying to show that we’re better than our opponent," Pochettino added.