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Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino has said his team are ready to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title this season.
Spurs will travel to Manchester to face the English champions on Saturday after opening their league campaign with a 3-1 home victory against Aston Villa.
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Pep Guardiola's side finished 18 points ahead of Spurs last season but Pochettino has insisted his side will run City close for the title this time around.
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"I'm so happy to compete against him [Guardiola] again," Pochettino said in a news conference. "One season more the possibility to face Manchester City and Pep -- for me, he is one of the best or the best managers in the world and that means we are in the same race, which is so important for myself."
No team has beaten City in any competition since Spurs secured a 1-0 victory in last season's Champions League quarterfinal first-leg at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
Spurs also defeated City on away goals at the Etihad Stadium in the second-leg on their way to the club's first ever Champions League final.
Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho backed Spurs to be contenders for the league title last week and Pochettino said his comments will give his side a lift.
"I respect his opinion," he added. "I am grateful, too, because a coach like Mourinho believing in our potential to be a contender is important.
"We have our belief and our faith in us, but that compliment helps us to believe that little bit more, of course."
Pochettino confirmed that new signing Giovani Lo Celso will not start against City but will be involved in the squad.
The Spurs boss also said Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen are in contention to start this weekend.
New recruit Ryan Sessegnon and Dele Alli are out of action with injury while Son Heung-Min and Juan Foyth are suspended.
Source: espn.co.uk