Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe believes Tottenham Hotspur are genuine title contenders, ahead of his side’s Premier League encounter with Spurs on Saturday.
The north London outfit, who were in the running for the Premier League title for the majority of last season before a late collapse saw them finish third, are currently just one point adrift of leaders Manchester City.
Tottenham could move top of the table with a win over Bournemouth, even if momentarily, with the game at Dean Court being an early kick-off on Saturday.
And Howe, whose side lost both their Premier League matches against Tottenham last season, is of the opinion that Spurs will be in the thick of the title race under Mauricio Pochettino’s stewardship.
"I think Tottenham are genuine title contenders. They have an outstanding manager who is one of the best”, he said in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
relatedNewsStory
"I think they play really good football, but the main thing is their off the ball work.
"They are talented and have a good work ethic.
"In the home game we didn't handle their press well then in the away game we didn't perform.
"But we learnt so much from the games."
Tottenham, who thrashed Bournemouth 5-1 at Dean Court last October before defeating the Cherries 3-1 in the corresponding fixture at White Hart Lane in March, currently have 18 points from eight games.
