EXCLUSIVE

Ben Davies urged Tottenham to believe they can win a first League title since 1961 ahead of the match that could define their season.

Spurs are second in the Premier League - five points behind Leicester - and can pull four points clear of fourth-placed Manchester City with a win at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Despite their excellent form this term, Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino and his players have generally played down their title chances. But since the 3-0 win at Norwich last week, there has been a definite shift in mood.

Asked about Spurs’s prospects, Davies told Standard Sport: “We have to believe we are good enough to do it. We have got to look as high as we can. There is good confidence in this team. We are picking up results where we need to and if we carry on like that, we will do well at the end of the season.

“Perhaps at the start of the season, Manchester City were expected to do better than us but the way we are playing now, we have to look as high as possible. It’s going to be a big test for us at City, to see the level we are at.

“It’s a nice feeling going into games and performing well.”

In August, few would have anticipated that Tottenham would have been above City in the table with 13 games remaining. The north Londoners have been cautious in the transfer market and have a net spend in this campaign of precisely zero. Compare that with City — one of the world’s wealthiest clubs —whose net spend is £101.5million.

Before this season, Tottenham’s recent record against City was poor. Since the team managed by Harry Redknapp won 1-0 at the Etihad in 2010 to clinch a place in the Champions League, Spurs had recorded only one over City. Since that game, City had won eight with one draw.

Spurs suffered a number of heavy defeats in that period, losing 6-0 and 5-1 in the 2013-14 campaign, and 4-1 in Manchester during Pochettino’s first season in charge.

When City arrived at White Hart Lane in September, there was little reason to believe the pattern would change.

Manuel Pellegrini’s team were top of the table, having won five or their opening six matches. Spurs, meanwhile, had stuttered during the early weeks, winning two and drawing three.

Combined XI: Tottenham vs Manchester City 12 show all Combined XI: Tottenham vs Manchester City 1/12 Who makes Standard Sport's combined XI? Will Mauricio Pochettino or Manuel Pellegrini be pleased as punch with the results? 2/12 Goalkeeper: Joe Hart Arguably the most difficult choice of all. Hugo Lloris has been in superb form and underpins Tottenham's defensive record but Joe Hart just edges out the Frenchman for somehow holding down the fort despite having to play behind an accident waiting to happen. 3/12 Right back: Pablo Zabaleta The Argentine has endured an injury-ravaged campaign and may be past his best but remains a solid option. Kyle Walker still suffers from lapses in concentration while Kieran Trippier lacks top level experience. For those reasons, Zabaleta and his safe pair of hands secure a place at right back. 4/12 Centre back: Kevin Wimmer The Austrian centre back only has three Premier League appearances to his name and his inclusion highlights just how bad City have been in the centre of defence without Vincent Kompany this season. Both Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi have barely shown glimpses of the players their price tags suggest they should be. 5/12 Centre back: Toby Alderweireld Never in doubt. The Belgian is probably now the best defender in the entire division. His passing repertoire oozes class and he's equally at ease doing the fancy stuff as he is being dragged into the trenches for a battle. 6/12 Left back: Danny Rose A close call. Some Spurs fans may argue that the Englishman isn't even first-choice for Pochettino, but he's definitely done enough to move ahead of both Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov in the pecking order. Ben Davies is snapping at his colleague's heels and Rose might not be able to hold off the Welshman for long given how he has improved of late. 7/12 Central midfield: Mousa Dembele The Belgian powerhouse provides not only provides a physical presence in the centre of the park but also the poise and level head that the Brazilian duo of Fernandinho and Fernando cannot. 8/12 Central midfield: Yaya Toure The manner in which Eric Dier has adapted to his new midfield role has been admirable, but he has not done enough to muscle past the Ivorian behemoth. Yaya Toure has not been at his best this season and debate rages about his attitude and best position, but he is still capable of providing moments of magic that can decide even the closest game. He and Dembele would be a force to be reckoned with. Fabian Delph doesn't get a look in. 9/12 Attacking midfield right: Raheem Sterling A controversial choice. It would be difficult to argue Raheem Sterling has lived up to the hype in his debut season at the Etihad Stadium. But then it would also be difficult to argue a case for either Heung-min Son or Nacer Chadli to be preferred to the England international. However, if Kevin de Bruyne was fit there would be no need for a debate as the Belgian would stroll in unopposed. 10/12 Attacking midfield centre: Dele Alli The Spurs teenager has taken the division by storm. Dele Alli's seven goals, including a wonderstrike against Crystal Palace, have made the midfielder a shoo-in for a place in Roy Hodgson's England squad this summer. Not enough has been made of the fact his form has seen Tottenham's former linchpin - Christian Eriksen - shunted out to the left flank. Even if David Silva was firing on all cylinders, a case could have been made for Alli's inclusion ahead of the Spaniard. 11/12 Attacking midfield left: Christian Eriksen While the Danish midfielder was accused of being 'shunted' out onto the left flank in our previous slide, Christian Eriksen still claims a place in the side. The 23-year-old's delivery is superb and the danger he can provide from set-piece situations should not be understated. If all of City's midfielders were fit he might have been edged out, but they're not. 12/12 Striker: Sergio Aguero Our team only has one striker so there's only one man for the job and that is Sergio Aguero. The Argentine is the best centre-forward in world football on his day and would be ahead of Robert Lewandowski in more people's books if his hamstrings behaved themselves a little more often. Harry Kane is by no means miles behind the City talisman but the Spurs golden boy is not quite the complete package which Aguero represents. 1/12 Who makes Standard Sport's combined XI? Will Mauricio Pochettino or Manuel Pellegrini be pleased as punch with the results? 2/12 Goalkeeper: Joe Hart Arguably the most difficult choice of all. Hugo Lloris has been in superb form and underpins Tottenham's defensive record but Joe Hart just edges out the Frenchman for somehow holding down the fort despite having to play behind an accident waiting to happen. 3/12 Right back: Pablo Zabaleta The Argentine has endured an injury-ravaged campaign and may be past his best but remains a solid option. Kyle Walker still suffers from lapses in concentration while Kieran Trippier lacks top level experience. For those reasons, Zabaleta and his safe pair of hands secure a place at right back. 4/12 Centre back: Kevin Wimmer The Austrian centre back only has three Premier League appearances to his name and his inclusion highlights just how bad City have been in the centre of defence without Vincent Kompany this season. Both Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi have barely shown glimpses of the players their price tags suggest they should be. 5/12 Centre back: Toby Alderweireld Never in doubt. The Belgian is probably now the best defender in the entire division. His passing repertoire oozes class and he's equally at ease doing the fancy stuff as he is being dragged into the trenches for a battle. 6/12 Left back: Danny Rose A close call. Some Spurs fans may argue that the Englishman isn't even first-choice for Pochettino, but he's definitely done enough to move ahead of both Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov in the pecking order. Ben Davies is snapping at his colleague's heels and Rose might not be able to hold off the Welshman for long given how he has improved of late. 7/12 Central midfield: Mousa Dembele The Belgian powerhouse provides not only provides a physical presence in the centre of the park but also the poise and level head that the Brazilian duo of Fernandinho and Fernando cannot. 8/12 Central midfield: Yaya Toure The manner in which Eric Dier has adapted to his new midfield role has been admirable, but he has not done enough to muscle past the Ivorian behemoth. Yaya Toure has not been at his best this season and debate rages about his attitude and best position, but he is still capable of providing moments of magic that can decide even the closest game. He and Dembele would be a force to be reckoned with. Fabian Delph doesn't get a look in. 9/12 Attacking midfield right: Raheem Sterling A controversial choice. It would be difficult to argue Raheem Sterling has lived up to the hype in his debut season at the Etihad Stadium. But then it would also be difficult to argue a case for either Heung-min Son or Nacer Chadli to be preferred to the England international. However, if Kevin de Bruyne was fit there would be no need for a debate as the Belgian would stroll in unopposed. 10/12 Attacking midfield centre: Dele Alli The Spurs teenager has taken the division by storm. Dele Alli's seven goals, including a wonderstrike against Crystal Palace, have made the midfielder a shoo-in for a place in Roy Hodgson's England squad this summer. Not enough has been made of the fact his form has seen Tottenham's former linchpin - Christian Eriksen - shunted out to the left flank. Even if David Silva was firing on all cylinders, a case could have been made for Alli's inclusion ahead of the Spaniard. 11/12 Attacking midfield left: Christian Eriksen While the Danish midfielder was accused of being 'shunted' out onto the left flank in our previous slide, Christian Eriksen still claims a place in the side. The 23-year-old's delivery is superb and the danger he can provide from set-piece situations should not be understated. If all of City's midfielders were fit he might have been edged out, but they're not. 12/12 Striker: Sergio Aguero Our team only has one striker so there's only one man for the job and that is Sergio Aguero. The Argentine is the best centre-forward in world football on his day and would be ahead of Robert Lewandowski in more people's books if his hamstrings behaved themselves a little more often. Harry Kane is by no means miles behind the City talisman but the Spurs golden boy is not quite the complete package which Aguero represents.

Tottenham’s subsequent 4-1 victory felt as significant as it did surprising — and Davies acknowledges its importance towards what followed.

He said: “It was a big performance and a big confidence boost. We started the season putting in good performances but we weren’t quite getting the results and that result set us on our way.

“We realised how good a team we have here and we’ve worked on things since then and got better. Maybe it’s not so noticeable but in games where we’re cruising, where you think we might get a bit sloppy, we’re killing teams off.

“We don’t give away goals through sloppy mistakes and it’s about setting the bar high for everyone out there.”

The camaraderie in the squad has helped, too. When speaking publicly, footballers will usually refer to “a great team spirit” — often when the exact opposite is the case.

Yet so many Tottenham players have mentioned it this season that it cannot be dismissed. Kyle Walker, who signed for Spurs in 2009, says the atmosphere in the squad is the best he has known. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, the most senior player at the club, echoes those words.

Top-scorer Harry Kane spoke this week about the absence of “bad eggs” and that any player slacking off in training could expect a flea in his ear from team-mates.

Tottenham spent a three-day training camp in Barcelona recently, which Davies described as “a lads’ holiday” — before adding: “Maybe without the booze!”

He explained: “If you look at the average age of our team (under 25), we probably have a couple of experienced players. It’s a young squad in which everyone is hungry. The best thing about this team is our attitude and the way we go into games. We’re like a group of mates off the field.”

Can Spurs win the title? Have your say in our poll below!