Spurs travel to the Etihad Stadium to take on the runaway leaders on Saturday night!
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino (Photo: AFP)
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino admitted Manchester City are in the midst of a fantastic season but at the same time insisted that his players will be up for the challenge when the two sides lock horns on Saturday night.
“So far, no-one can stop Manchester City, that is true,” Pochettino stated at his pre-match press conference on Friday as he continued, “They are having a fantastic season and they deserve all the praise. Pep (Guardiola) is doing a fantastic job with his coaching staff”.
“For us, it will be a very tough game but at the same time it’s a massive challenge, an exciting game and it’s a game where you don’t need to motivate the players, you don’t need to talk too much.”
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Pep Guardiola’s City broke a Premier League record in mid-week when they thrashed Swansea to register their 15th league win in a row and will be favourites for Saturday’s clash.
However, the fact that Spurs scuppered City’s unbeaten start last season will give them hope that an encore is possible.
“Like all games, every opponent is different and you need to design a different plan,” Pochettino told Spurs TV.
“It’s a massive game and a massive challenge for everyone. We want to win the three points – that’s important for us to improve our position in the table. After that, it’s about quality, trying to perform in the best way and trying to be better than your opponent. This a less game for mentality, psychology and motivation, these games excite you.”
Spurs, fourth in the table, trail leaders City by an mammoth 18 points and are effectively out of the title race but with the UEFA Champions League spots (top-four) up for grabs, the Lilywhites will not be lacking for motivation when they travel to Manchester.
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