Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has jumped to the defence of his Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola.

The Spanish boss, who arrived in the Premier League for the first time last summer, is going through a rough patch at the Etihad Stadium.

City currently sit fifth in the Premier League table, 10 points adrift of leaders Chelsea after winning just half of their eight top-flight fixtures since December.

It is a stark contrast to how the season started, with City storming to a 10-game winning run in all competitions under Guardiola.

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The former Bayern Munich and Barcelona boss has conceded that the club are out of the title race, but if they overcome Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad this Saturday, their momentum could shift.

The club would be level on points with second-placed Spurs if they did manage to get a result, which could throw them right back into the mix.

Pochettino, for one, is refusing to make any judgement on Guardiola’s ability to cut it in the English top flight at this stage, and has advised the media to do the same. The Argentine told reporters:

"Be careful, they're only three points behind us and they're in the Champions League. The judgment is at the end [of the season].

"I know Pep Guardiola very well, he's a great manager, one of the best, and you can expect different things. When you arrive at a new club you need to adapt your values to a new culture, and it's difficult, but I don't change my opinion of him. I am not someone who judges other people.”

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