Watch Tottenham vs Manchester City on Super Sunday from 4pm on Sky Sports Premier League; kick-off 4.30pm
Friday 31 January 2020 15:49, UK
Pep Guardiola insists Tottenham are alive and kicking under Jose Mourinho as he prepares to take his side to the capital to play Spurs.
The defending champions are the visitors to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, live on Sky Sports Premier League on Renault Super Sunday.
After three wins in his first three games upon replacing Mauricio Pochettino in November, Spurs' form has tailed off in recent weeks with Mourinho's side tasting victory just once in their last five league matches.
Spurs are now six points off a top-four place but Guardiola is expecting a herculean encounter against Mourinho's men this weekend.
"I think every manager needs time," Guardiola told Sky Sports News.
"I saw the game [Tottenham played] against Liverpool and the last game against Southampton and the team is alive, it's not flat.
"They are a team that are aggressive and can play with different systems. And always [Mourinho] is a huge competitor and his teams are always tough.
"We are going to prepare tomorrow for the game and travel to London to try and get a good result and to be closer to qualify for the Champions League next season."
In his time as a manager, Guardiola has never signed a player on Deadline Day, and the City boss says that is primarily down to the fact that he likes to place his faith in the squad that he starts a campaign with.
"It does not depend just on the manager, it depends on both clubs and the players," Guardiola said at his news conference.
"There is no particular reason [why I have not made a Deadline Day signing]. It is because normally when I start the season with the players I trust them so I try and finish with them."
City have been boosted this week by the return to full training of winger Leroy Sane. The Germany international has been out since suffering a knee injury in the Community Shield last August.
Guardiola said: "Sane started to train with us, that's good news, and he moves, surprisingly, really well. It was nice to see him back."
While Sane could return to action in the coming weeks, Guardiola was unclear on the 24-year-old's contract situation. Sane's current deal ends in 2021 and he has been repeatedly linked with Bayern Munich.
Guardiola said: "The last info I had was that we made him an offer a long time ago and all the time he didn't reject it, but after that I don't have any news."
