Antonio Conte has admitted that facing Manchester United will be a 'real challenge' and believes that the team is good enough to be competing for the Premier League title.
Tottenham and United have looked, at times, as though they're trying their best to throw away their opportunity to finish in the top four with both sides showing inconsistent form of late. Arsenal have currently leapfrogged them into fourth place and that's why Saturday's clash between the two teams is so important.
While United suffered yet another defeat at the weekend as they were battered by fierce rivals Manchester City, Tottenham managed to pick up another big win as they trounced Everton 5-0. Conte was pleased with his side's performance but has warned them that they must quickly turn all their focus to facing United.
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"Tonight was good for many aspects but I think also in the other games we played a good game," the Italian said after the Everton game. "At the same time I want to tell you what I said to my players 'ok this is the past and enjoy the game tonight but from tomorrow you have to think about Saturday's game against United'.
"They're a really strong team, a team that in my opinion, a squad that is ready to fight for the Premier League and every competition that they play in. It will be a real challenge for us and I want to see the answer, the answer about my players and also myself.
"Now we have 12 games to play until the end of the season. I listen and you ask me in every press conference about the top four race. I said to my players that it's right to take responsibility about this because I think that from when I arrived to now we are stronger.
"In January two players made us more complete. I think that we can fight. We can fight for this target. It's important to have this ambition and it's not right to hide our ambition and ok we'll see what happens."
Tottenham still have a real chance of qualifying for the Champions League, especially as if they win their two games in hand they would be able to put some distance between themselves and United. Conte admitted that if Spurs manage to do so then it would be the equivalent of lifting the title itself.
"We'll try to do everything and at the end we'll see what happens," he added. "Now we have only 12 games to play, not a trophy to play for. For this reason it's right to take the responsibility, me, myself, I have to be the first.
"You know I don't like to speak about ambition and reaching a place in the Champions League because I like to play to win the league and win trophies, but in this situation this could be our Champions League, our Premier League title if we are able to reach fourth place."
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