Pochettino questions Arsenal credentials ahead of derby

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino believes Arsenal are no better equipped to handle pressure than his side ahead of Saturday's north London derby between the title-chasing neighbours.

Back-to-back defeats to Manchester United and Swansea have stalled Arsenal’s bid to end their 12-year wait for the title, while Tottenham’s loss to West Ham United on Wednesday was also a setback to their hopes of overtaking table-toppers Leicester.

“If they have players that have the advantage (of experience) to win the title, what happened against Manchester United or Swansea?” Pochettino told British media.

With manager Arsene Wenger spending roughly £70 million to bring in playmaker Mesut Ozil and influential winger Alexis Sanchez, Pochettino said signing marquee players did not always guarantee success.

“Football is simple, not too complicated. You have a lot of examples. Different clubs sometimes sign a player or a manager with a big background or big trophies behind them,” the Argentine said.

“Sometimes (they have) success and sometimes not. You never know. Football is not an ordinary business. Anything can happen.”

Spurs sit three points behind Leicester with 10 games remaining, enough fixtures for Pochettino to claim it was too early for his side’s title hopes to hinge on Saturday’s clash with the Gunners at White Hart Lane.

“It’s not a decisive game. It’s important for us and for them. But we don’t have only two games after to achieve something,” the former Southampton manager said.