Substitute Heung-Min Son struck a dramatic late winner to give Tottenham a 2-1 victory over 10-man Watford at Vicarage Road.
The visitors set up to counter attack and it paid off in the 17th minute as Erik Lamela side-footed past Heurelho Gomes.
Watford equalised just before the break when Odion Ighalo scrapped his way past Eric Dier and poked home his 30th goal of 2015 - more than any other player in England's top four divisions.
But the Hornets went a man down on 63 minutes when Nathan Ake was shown a straight red card for a high tackle on Lamela, and Son flicked an audacious back-heel inside the near post on 89 minutes to secure a third straight win for Spurs.
With Watford having won their last two home games, including a 3-0 defeat of Liverpool, Spurs head coach Pochettino set his side up to hit them on the break with a 3-4-3 formation.
Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose started as wing-backs as two of three changes, with Tom Carroll coming into midfield and Eric Dier slotting in at centre-back, while Watford brought in Ake and Ikechi Anya.
Spurs' shape frustrated the Hornets in the first half and opened up space for the likes of Dele Alli, who robbed Craig Cathcart of the ball for Lamela to break and slot past former Spurs 'keeper Gomes.
Watford struggled to create any openings of note at the other end as another former Spurs player, Etienne Capoue, sent two shots wide of the target.
But, after a long ball forward was headed into the box by Troy Deeney, Ighalo controlled well before out-muscling and then nutmegging Dier to equalise on 42 minutes.
Christian Eriksen replaced Mousa Dembele just before half-time, with the Belgian hobbling off on his troubled ankle, and the visitors continued to try and hit Watford directly, Harry Kane going close when he headed Trippier's cross just wide of the near post.
Chelsea loanee Ake was then dismissed when his stamp missed the bouncing ball and found the upper leg of Lamela, but the decision incensed the home crowd.
Watford pushed for a late winner of their own and thought they had scored when a corner was blocked on the line by Hugo Lloris, but goal-line technology confirmed all the ball did not cross.
And, with only a minute left of normal time, Son skillfully beat Gomes at the near post from Trippier's cross to lift Tottenham above Manchester City -who play Leicester on Tuesday - and into third in the Premier League.
Player ratings
Watford: Gomes (6), Britos (6), Cathcart (6), Watson (6), Anya (6), Jurado (6), Ake (5), Capoue (6), Abdi (6), Deeney (6), Ighalo (7)
Subs used: Nyom (5), Prodl (5), Behrami (5).
Tottenham: Lloris (7), Trippier (7), Alderweireld (7), Dier (6), Vertonghen (6), Rose (6), Dembele (7), Carroll (7), Lamela (7), Alli (7), Kane 7.
Subs used: Chadli 6, Eriksen 6, Son 7.
Man of the match: Kieran Trippier.