Pochettino: Tottenham doesn't compare to Arsenal, but Spurs can win

Joe Wright

Pochettino: Tottenham doesn't compare to Arsenal, but Spurs can win image

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino says there is no point comparing his club with Arsenal, given the decades of stability enjoyed by Arsene Wenger.

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The Gunners host Spurs in the north London derby on Saturday a month after Wenger celebrated his 20th anniversary in charge of the club.

Pochettino has transformed expectations at White Hart Lane since his appointment in 2014, having inspired the side to an unlikely Premier League title challenge last term, while Spurs remain the only unbeaten team in the top flight in 2016-17.

But the former Argentina defender says that the ongoing work to rebuild both Spurs' stadium and the squad itself means trying to draw comparisons with the club's fierce rival is futile.

"Arsenal, after 20 years of Arsene Wenger, are one of the most consistent clubs in the world. It's difficult to compare us with Arsenal," he said. "We want to be one of the best but we're still building the training ground, the new stadium and our squad. But you put that away when you compete. We need to be aggressive and try to play better than them."

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Spurs' 1-0 Champions League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen at Wembley on Wednesday means the team is without a win in six games in all competitions since beating Manchester City 2-0.

"We're not in a positive situation, we've struggled to win games after beating Manchester City," Pochettino said. "We need to work hard and try more than before because we're in a difficult moment. You need to be ready to change the dynamic and we have a very good opportunity on Sunday.

"It will be an exciting game for us and for them, too. It will be tough for both teams. It's a big challenge for them to beat us and for us to win. I was very disappointed with the performance on Wednesday. We know we were poor and we cannot play that way against Arsenal. But it's a completely different competition and it will be a completely different game."

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Harry Kane is back from an ankle injury and in contention to start, but Pochettino expects to be without defender Toby Alderweireld and potentially midfielder Mousa Dembele.

"Toby is struggling a little bit in his recovery but he should be available after the international break. He's very close but it's a very slow recovery," he said. "I can only say Dembele is a doubt, we'll assess him tomorrow and then decide. It's not a big deal but it's painful on his ankle."

Joe Wright

Joe Wright Photo

Joe is a Senior Editor at Sporting News. He was previously a sub editor and writer for Goal.com before spending six years as part of the Stats Perform editorial news service, covering major global sports including football, tennis, boxing, NBA, rugby union and athletics. Joe has reported live on some of the biggest games in football, including two UEFA Champions League finals, Euro 2016, the Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 World Cup final at the end of a month in Russia.