Mauricio Pochettino highlights pre-match plan for Tottenham win over Manchester City

By Jack Wilkinson

Sunday 2 October 2016 18:53, UK

Mauricio Pochettino hailed Tottenham as they carried out their pre-match plan to perfection to defeat Manchester City.

Spurs were tasked with becoming the first side to defeat Pep Guardiola at City, and they rose to the challenge with a stunning display at White Hart Lane.

Dele Alli's slick 37th-minute strike doubled Spurs advantage after Aleksandar Kolarov's early own goal, and there was no way back for City as the hosts move to within a point of the leaders.

"We feel very good, we're very pleased," Pochettino told Sky Sports. "The performance was very, very good and I've congratulated my players, their effort was fantastic.

"It was an exciting game, I enjoyed it a lot. I was a great victory for us and means we're fighting for the top position. I'm very happy.

"When you make a plan for a game sometimes it's good and sometimes it's not so good. Today we played very well and the plan we made against Manchester City was good.

"City are a great team, they're difficult to play against so I'm satisfied with the three points. Now we need to follow that up after the international break, where we have a lot of games ahead.

"This is the way we want to play always, that performance showed we cannot change in the future and have belief and faith in the way we work.

"We need to be consistent, it's only the start of the season but that is the way we need to take and be focused in the way we want to play in every game."

Asked whether the nature of Spurs' victory would act as a statement to the rest of the Premier League, Pochettino added: "It's too early.

"Manchester City are one of the contenders for the title and we are carrying out our philosophy, our way to try and be at the top.

"We are below them but we need to continue playing like we did today step by step. That is our power. We will see where we are in the end but it is too early in the season."

Spurs' victory could have been more comfortable had Erik Lamela converted a 65th-minute penalty.

The Argentine was seen arguing with Heung-Min Son beforehand to decide who would take the spot kick.

Lamela's effort was kept out by Claudio Bravo but since it did not have any bearing on the outcome, Pochettino was keen to deflect away from the altercation between his two players.

"At 2-0 the players want to score but it doesn't only happen in Tottenham, it happens in other teams," he said.

"When you have good players all are capable of scoring, but nothing happened in the end, anyone can miss a penalty.

"I don't always hope for that in that situation but we won 2-0 and we fully deserved the victory. We will analyse this action, but it's no big issue."