Pochettino: Tottenham must defy Manchester City's 'aura' to beat 'best side in Europe'

When Tottenham drew at the Bernabeu and then beat Real Madrid earlier this season, it was justifiably seen as a double success against the best team on the continent. After all, Zinedine Zidane’s Galacticos have won the Champions League in each of the last two seasons.

Yet the challenge that awaits Spurs at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium on Saturday looks at least as difficult. Indeed, during Friday’s press conference, Mauricio Pochettino described the hosts as “the best team today in Europe, not only in England”.

Tottenham may have got a 2-2 draw in this fixture last season but that was highly fortuitous – City had seven shots on target to Spurs’ two (both of which went in).

Pep Guardiola’s side have only improved since then, pinching Kyle Walker for £50million in the process – and when the sides met in the USA in pre-season, City triumphed 3-0.

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They have gone on to win 15 successive Premier League matches – a new record –while averaging more than three goals per match, and boast an 11-point lead at the top of the table.

A kind of mythology can develop around such dominant teams; an air of invincibility that gives them an extra advantage. It is something Pochettino is aware of.

“I agree in terms of the aura, sometimes,” he said. “For us, we felt the same last season at White Hart Lane, that something special happened around the team.

“I think it was a player a week or two ago that said ‘wow, I remember last season, we always started 1-0 up at White Hart Lane because something special was happening’. For the opponent, it was tough to play against us.

“But now, of course, City are doing fantastically. The respect from the opponents and everyone is massive. But in the end, we’re going there to fight, to kill them and try to win. We are winners and we need to give our best.

“I don’t think it’s psychological for us, for our team. It’s more about trying to show we are capable of winning with our quality. That is the most important thing, because it’s going to be a fight between 11 players on the pitch, with a similar philosophy – always trying to play, going forward, with attacking football. In the end it’s about quality.”

Asked if he has spotted any weaknesses with City, Pochettino said: “If we saw that, I am not going to tell. First, because Pep is going to kill me! It’s so important to show respect – and then it’s football and I cannot talk about that.

“I don’t like to say ‘weakness’ when I talk about the opponent. It’s always about trying to explore your best quality on the pitch and trying to be better than them. But of course it’s football and we have good quality and we need to feel that we can beat them, and in the way that we always play.”

The exuberance of City’s celebrations has been cast under the spotlight in the wake of last weekend’s Manchester derby.

Defeated United manager Jose Mourinho appears to have taken exception to the noise emanating from the visitors’ dressing room as they enjoyed their 2-1 victory at Old Trafford, sparking a row.

Pochettino and his players could be the next group listening to City’s festivities. But the Argentinian would accept that as a typical punishment for defeat, and would happily turn the volume up in Spurs’ dressing room if his side emerge triumphant.

“I’m not going to talk about what happened between Manchester United and Manchester City,” he said. “Only I want to tell you that when we won our games, like in Huddersfield or at Wembley against Stoke, the players put music on and it’s so loud.

“It’s normal – if you lose the game you are not going to put on music. You are going to the changing room, to shower, and you want to go quickly back home.

“But because they are winning, winning, winning, it’s normal they put music on in the changing room. If you look before the game, both changing rooms have music – loud music – and only one can win. If it’s a draw, it’s sure that you will hear both teams with music, but that’s normal.

“I wish that [we will be the ones playing music]. But I’m never [going to complain] if another team celebrates.

“Sometimes it’s good, when you lose and you hear all that happens in another changing room. It’s good to feel the pain – with respect of course, because it’s always about respect, but sometimes it’s good to listen.

“If we run more, and we play better and we care more, come on, maybe we need to translate that feeling to the opposite changing room.”

Tottenham will be cheered on this weekend by every football fan who wants a genuine title fight rather than a procession. Yet the Premier League crown is surely out of the north Londoners’ reach already, given City lie 18 points ahead of them.

That is a source of disappointment given Spurs have challenged for the trophy in the two previous season, but Pochettino feels it is unreasonable to compare the two clubs – at least until the Lilywhites are installed in their new home.

“In the moment that we arrive in the new stadium and only focus on trying to invest in and improve the team, not only to improve the facilities, I think the people will be allowed to blame [us] if we don’t improve and don’t achieve,” he said.

“To be fair with the club – not with me or us – it’s important to recognise the effort the club is doing: trying to be competitive, to play in the Champions League, to fight with the big sides like City, United, who in the end don’t care what to spend, if you can win, if you have the hope to win.

“For us it’s completely different and I think it’s not fair to compare the club – not myself, I don’t put myself like a victim. It’s only to say it’s fantastic what the club is doing.

“Maybe in a few years is the moment say ‘come on, the club now need to win and need to compete, and with the same tools as another big club’.

“But today it’s completely unfair if the people, the media, is going to compare Tottenham with this type of club like Manchester City, United or Chelsea.

“We are in a complete opposite side. I’m not complaining about nothing. It’s only I accept what is our position and where we are.”

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