• Manchester City manager Pep Guardolia shakes hands with Spurs counterpart Jose Mourinho after the London club's 2-0 Premier League win in November. EPA
    Manchester City manager Pep Guardolia shakes hands with Spurs counterpart Jose Mourinho after the London club's 2-0 Premier League win in November. EPA
  • City striker Gabriel Jesus attempts a shot on goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Getty
    City striker Gabriel Jesus attempts a shot on goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Getty
  • City forward Sergio Aguero was an unused substitute against Spurs. EPA
    City forward Sergio Aguero was an unused substitute against Spurs. EPA
  • Son Heung-min celebrates scoring Spurs' opener. Reuters
    Son Heung-min celebrates scoring Spurs' opener. Reuters
  • City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. EPA
    City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. EPA
  • Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is currently having his worst start to a season as a manager. Reuters
    Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is currently having his worst start to a season as a manager. Reuters
  • Spurs attacker Harry Kane and City defender Ruben Dias battle for possession. EPA
    Spurs attacker Harry Kane and City defender Ruben Dias battle for possession. EPA
  • Tottenham defender Serge Aurier and City midfielder Bernardo Silva during the match in North London. AFP
    Tottenham defender Serge Aurier and City midfielder Bernardo Silva during the match in North London. AFP
  • Ferran Torres, right, has been playing in an unfamiliar role up front for City. AFP
    Ferran Torres, right, has been playing in an unfamiliar role up front for City. AFP
  • Spurs midfielder Giovani Lo Celso finishes past City goalkeeper Ederson to make the score 2-0. AFP
    Spurs midfielder Giovani Lo Celso finishes past City goalkeeper Ederson to make the score 2-0. AFP
  • Giovani Lo Celso celebrates scoring for Spurs. Getty
    Giovani Lo Celso celebrates scoring for Spurs. Getty
  • City's Joao Cancelo under pressure from Son Heung-min of Spurs. AP
    City's Joao Cancelo under pressure from Son Heung-min of Spurs. AP

Tottenham need 'perfect match' at Manchester City, says Jose Mourinho


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Tottenham must play the "perfect match" if they are to stop a rampant Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday, according to manager Jose Mourinho.

City have stormed to the top of the league and have won 15 successive matches in all competitions.

The last time Pep Guardiola's side suffered a defeat was a 2-0 Premier League loss at Tottenham on November 21, and they are unbeaten in 22 games since.

Tottenham's form has deteriorated alarmingly since then and they have lost three of their last four league matches to drop to eighth and bowed out of the FA Cup in a nine-goal thriller that went to extra time at Everton on Wednesday.

"We beat them because we played so, so, so well in that match and that is the only way any team can beat Man City, you have to play very, very well," Mourinho said.

"You make a defensive mistake and they kill you. You know it is very difficult to stop them scoring because they score all the time and you know that it's difficult to score goals because they don't concede, so you have to play the perfect match.

"Like we did when we played them at home. We played the perfect match and their level of confidence was not the same."

Playing 120 minutes in the FA Cup at Goodison Park was hardly ideal for Mourinho, who said he did not want to even look at the data after that 5-4 defeat by Everton.

"Yesterday when I opened the file of the Everton game data, I opened and in two seconds I closed it immediately because I didn't want to go through it and I don't even want to share that with my players," he said.

"120 minutes playing at high intensity, chasing results, playing fast and intense football of course was very hard."