Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has suggested that Tottenham are the most envied team in the Premier League since they are punching above their weight.

If Spurs manage to finish in the top three this season, this will be the fourth consecutive season that the club has managed to achieve the feat.

Tottenham have been able to achieve this level of consistency despite having a negligible net spend, in contrast with some of their top six rivals who have invested heavily into their squads.

Pochettino also said that despite the club being criticized for not winning a trophy under his reign, people still respect the way Tottenham are going about their business and that is why teams are desperate to get the better of the North Londoners.

“We’re the team to beat,” Pochettino told Standard Sport ahead of tonight’s FA Cup third-round tie at Tranmere. “It’s not arrogant, it’s realistic. [People say], ‘How are Tottenham there?’ — a club like Chelsea can spend big money on a transfer [Christian Pulisic] and then send him on loan. Do you think Tottenham can do this? No. But in the last few years, Tottenham are fighting with this type of club.”

“That’s why no-one likes Tottenham much, that’s why everyone wants to challenge us. It’s a massive game for us every time. Wolves beat us and they behaved like they won the Premier League. Then on Wednesday, they lost to Crystal Palace. It’s because Tottenham have created something special — and now we are a target. When we fought with Leicester, everyone wanted to kill us! For many people, we’re not very successful because we haven’t won a trophy [but] people respect the way we’re doing it.”

The Argentine also admitted to being puzzled why Spurs aren’t the neutrals favourites to win the league and suggested that when that elusive first trophy does come, Spurs can shut their critics up once and for all.

He added, “Maybe we’re not the good guys, eh?” he said. “It’s a little bit weird, the perception of us. I don’t know why it is.”

“When we started here it was nice. [People said], ‘Tottenham are very nice guys’. Then when we started to be up there, everyone said, ‘They are going to go down’. And then we were there again and there again and they started to say, ‘Now they’re a problem’. The moment that we win [trophies], okay kill us! But now? Maybe if we win something it’s a moment to go away!”