Chelsea as good as Real Madrid – Spurs boss

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Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino insisted Chelsea are as good as Real Madrid after his side came out on top in an eight-goal thriller at White Hart Lane.

A Harry Kane-inspired Spurs beat the Blues 5-3 as Pochettino celebrated a victory over counterpart Jose Mourinho for the first time.

But, having masterminded the triumph, he was quick to praise not only his own team but also that coached by his friend Mourinho.

He said: “For me, Mourinho is one of the best, if not the best, managers in the world.

“I’m not especially happy for me but for the team. Mourinho is my friend but at the end it’s three points.

“It’s difficult to find a weakness in Chelsea. They are at a Real Madrid level.

“They have a lot of international players but we had a great performance and I want to congratulate my players.”

Pochettino also played down calls for in-form striker Kane, who scored twice against Chelsea, to be given an England call-up.

He said: “We need to be careful with him, he’s still young. It’s impossible to hide him because of his performances but we try to help him and improve him every day.

“If the national-team manager believes in him and gives him the opportunity to play, that’s not my decision.”

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