Consistent Manchester City the benchmark for Tottenham: Mauricio Pochettino

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino believes his side must maintain their form in the second half of the season for the whole campaign if they want to be Premier League champions next year.

Spurs host champions-elect Manchester City to Wembley on Saturday hoping to further delay City's title triumph by inflicting a fourth straight defeat on Pep Guardiola's men in all competitions.

Tottenham's last league defeat came way back in December when they were swept aside 4-1 by City at the Etihad Stadium.

Pochettino played down the significance of beating City as a springboard to winning the title in the first season at the club's new 62,000 seater stadium.

But insists City are the benchmark for their record-breaking tear towards the title, even if they did suffer a second league defeat of the season at home to Manchester United last weekend.

"It is not about one result that we are going to show that we are ready or not ready," said Pochettino.

"We need to be consistent during the whole season and be the best team like Manchester City is doing today. We need to show ourselves that we can compete."

"In football, in 90 minutes you can win or lose, but we need to be more consistent through the whole season in result and performance because you need to be consistent if you are going to win."

Tottenham trail City by 17 points, but look well set for a third straight season of Champions League football after opening up a 10-point gap on fifth-placed Chelsea with just six games to go.

But Pochettino reiterated his ambitions for the club are far greater than merely qualifying for Europe's premier club competition.

"Of course the gap is massive with Man City. We are in the race for top four and that for Tottenham is a massive achievement to finish in the top four for the third season in a row.

"That is so important, but the ambition is to win titles and one day the Premier League or Champions League."