Mauricio Pochettino admitted it was vital for Tottenham Hotspur to start the new year with a bang and record a “massive” victory at Cardiff City that reignites their hopes of staying in the Premier League title race. A convincing 3-0 win lifts Spurs to second in the table and narrows the gap to the league summit to six points, before the leaders Liverpool’s clash with Manchester City on Thursday.

Goals from Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Son Heung-min sealed a return to winning ways after a shock defeat by Wolves at Wembley on Saturday. “I think it was a massive victory, a massive three points to make us believe that little more, in our possibility to be in a very good position in the table,” Pochettino said. “I think it was so important to start the new year with a victory, away from home, at a very difficult place. I think they arrived with massive confidence after the last game [against Leicester].

“From the beginning today we showed massive energy and I think that is the team we want, and expect, to see to get a good performance on the pitch. I think it was so important to start to build another positive run and, of course in football it is impossible to win every single game, but for sure we are going try to win every single game until the end. I think it was so important for everyone, for confidence, because in three days we are going to start another competition, the FA Cup [against Tranmere], which is going to be important too and then the semi-final of the Carabao Cup against Chelsea.”

The Cardiff manager, Neil Warnock, believes the Premier League should intervene to stop Tottenham moving to the new White Hart Lane this season. Warnock says his side’s relegation rivals could gain an unfair advantage by not playing Tottenham at Wembley, with Huddersfield among teams that are likely to face Spurs at their new stadium, which they hope will open by February.

“They’ve made cock-ups now with the timing,” Warnock said. “The league should enforce they play at Wembley now for the rest of the season. I don’t think there should be any chance of an advantage to any of our opponents.

“It’s not our fault. We should have been playing at the new stadium ourselves. I think they should step in now. It should be until the end of the season now. I think they should enforce it.”