Wednesday 13 December 2017 23:34, UK
Mauricio Pochettino insists his Tottenham side will travel to Manchester City on Saturday looking to win after seeing Spurs beat Brighton 2-0 at Wembley.
Pochettino watched on as Spurs made it three home wins in a week on Wednesday night, with goals from Serge Aurier and Heung-Min Son enough for the hosts to pick up the three points that took them back into the top four.
Despite seeing his side struggle to break Brighton down for long periods, Pochettino believes his players' recent form stands them in good stead ahead of their weekend trip to runaway leaders City.
"It's not easy when the opponent [Brighton] only plays to defend," Pochettino said. "But I think the team created a lot of chances. I am very pleased for the victory and the effort of the players.
"Anyone can play in a way they want. For us it was difficult, but I am not going to complain about how another team [Brighton] play. I just focus on how my players play.
"I am so positive. I am a positive person. I am happy for the three points. What happens on Saturday, who knows? We go to Manchester to try to win. Football is football. In the last week, we have got three wins, and that is so important for us. We now feel we can stay higher in the table. There is a long way to go in the season and anything can happen.
"We are going to enjoy the game, as it is a fantastic challenge to play Manchester City. They are the best team in England, and one of the best teams in Europe. I am so excited to play in these games. I like to play against these teams, against managers like [Pep] Guardiola."
Erik Lamela made his first start in 14 months for Spurs in the victory, with Dele Alli dropped to the bench. Pochettino admitted Alli was unhappy to not be selected to start, but insisted that disappointment is normal.
"How do players at Arsenal or Liverpool react when they are on the bench?" Pochettino added. "Dele Alli was on the bench and then played 20 minutes.
"He is so important for us. Of course, players are not happy when they are on the bench, the young and the senior players. [Kieran] Trippier, Ben Davies, the other players all wanted to play. That is football."
