Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that his side need to beat teams like Bournemouth if they are to challenge for the Premier League title this season.
Spurs were held to a goalless draw by the Cherries at the Vitality Stadium this afternoon, extending their unbeaten start to the campaign but missing the chance to move top of the table.
Pochettino acknowledged that his side were given a good test by Eddie Howe's men, but was unhappy that they were forced to settle for a point in the end.
"It was a very competitive game, they were ready to compete and it was tough. We managed the whole game but if you don't score, it is difficult to win. We fought loads and it is one point more and a clean sheet," he told reporters.
"If we want to be contenders, we need to win games like these. They were very aggressive. It was tough with the kickoff early in the morning and we were better after 15 minutes. We did not create enough chances to score but I am pleased. The effort was good.
"We have a very busy schedule and it is a good point looking back on it. We are battling for the top and we missed an opportunity to be in that position."
Spurs have now gone unbeaten for the first nine games of a league season for just the fourth time in their history.
Barney Corkhill
