Five reasons behind Spurs' unbeaten run
Our columnist analyses what makes Pochettino's high-flying side tick
1 HOME OF THE RISING SON
Son Heung Min is slowly coming to define all that is positive about Mauricio Pochettino's progress at Tottenham.
His very presence illustrates his manager's patience.
The South Korean was set to leave in pre-season, frustrated at a lack of first-team action and fearful that his career was stagnating. But Pochettino convinced the 24-year-old to stay, aware of his pertinent strengths.
Against Manchester City on Sunday, Son performed like a man with an extra lung, running fullbacks ragged until his 90th-minute substitution earned a raucous ovation.
But Son is so much more than a cliched industrious Asian dynamo.
He dribbles with either foot, dropping more shoulders than a rugby scrum and terrifying defenders.
He links play, shoots on sight, slips passes and spins away from markers. Most of all, he endures.
His excellent work for Dele Alli's finish lifted his tally to six goals and two assists in seven league games.
Son's selection emphasised another aspect of his manager's success.
The South Korean's inclusion was a potential risk for two reasons. The winger was expected to operate as a false No. 9 - a role he had rarely played - and big summer signing Vincent Janssen was left on the bench.
But fine football favoured the brave. Son epitomises a Pochettino footballer. He's a jinking, linking, intelligent forward who never, ever stops running.
2 SIGN THE RIGHT PLAYERS, RATHER THAN HEADLINE NAMES
After three months, Victor Wanyama is a leading contender for the signing of the season.
Bought from Southampton for a fee of £11 million ($19.4m), the Kenyan kept Eric Dier on the bench against Man City.
Pochettino's vision with a team sheet apparently extends to the transfer market. He doesn't buy headlines. He purchases missing pieces of the puzzle.
Tottenham's belligerent counter-attacking depends on a muscular shield. Wanyama duly delivered against City, intercepting and releasing the ball quickly.
At times, Tottenham's transitional play was feverish and Wanyama was always involved.
Pochettino prefers reliable names rather than brand names. By the end of the season, Wanyama will be both.
3 FOCUS ON THE OTHER P WORDS
Endless references to Pochettino's pressing game are becoming tiresome.
Like 4-4-2, tiki-taka or 4-3-3 with inverted wingers, there's always a tactical flavour of the month.
It's getting hard for anyone not to mention Tottenham without mentioning the "high-pressing" strategy.
Man City also favour a high pressing game. So do Liverpool. Indeed, it's rather difficult to venture into an opponents' box without pressing at some point.
The difference is practice makes perfect. Barring the two centre backs and Hugo Lloris, eight white shirts squeezed City until they turned as blue as their jerseys.
Spurs' chokehold was carried out with militaristic precision, dizzying in its speed, admirable in its execution.
4 SLY STRENGTH IN DEPTH
The two halves of Manchester broke club records in chasing star men and quick fixes.
Neither Pep Guardiola nor Jose Mourinho is blessed with Pochettino's relative stability and longevity.
The spending sprees at both City and United obscured how remarkably settled and competitive Tottenham's squad have become.
Apart from Wanyama, Dier and Mousa Dembele are capable of anchoring midfield. Harry Winks recently impressed in his Champions League debut.
Janssen started on the bench against City. Harry Kane is still out injured. Ben Davies provides excellent cover at fullback. Dier can do likewise at centre back. Jan Vertonghen is also capable of slotting in at left back.
In stark contrast, City struggled - and failed - to put out a couple of competent fullbacks at Tottenham.
With little fuss, Pochettino has slyly put together a squad that boast the best strength in depth in the league.
5 STRONG CASE FOR THE DEFENCE
Sir Alex Ferguson's famous claim that "attack wins you games, defence wins you titles" has been contradicted in recent seasons.
Teams with the best defences have won the league only twice in the last seven seasons. Still, it's hard to win anything with a porous back four.
As City demonstrated in recent games, a high-pressing attack launched from a fragile defence is like going to sea in a sieve.
Tottenham are doing things differently. Just three goals conceded in seven games partly tell a remarkable story.
Toby Alderweireld's signing in the summer of 2015 gave him a year to build a close understanding with fellow Belgian Vertonghen.
Dier, and more recently Wanyama, were brought in to cover for the overlapping antics of Danny Rose and Kyle Walker; fullbacks who have finally reached their potential under Pochettino.
It's a neat trick that has improved Tottenham defensively without blunting their attacking edge.
If the fullbacks go, Dier or Wanyama sit and recover, before pushing up when the defenders return, each man taking a breather like paddlers passing round a snorkel.
As a result, Tottenham have established a remarkably cohesive and resilient defence.
Unlike his title rivals, Pochettino has no reason to look back in anger.
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