Pochettino: Unbeaten run not important

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino played down the significance of his side's start to the Premier League season after their 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Monday.

First-half goals from Mousa Dembele and Dele Alli set up Tottenham's win at White Hart Lane, but they needed a late effort from Harry Kane to be sure of victory after Jordan Ayew pulled a goal back for Villa to set up a nervy final 10 minutes.

Pochettino's side remain unbeaten in the Premier League since the opening day of the season, with the win taking them up to fifth in the table.

But the former Southampton boss urged his team to stay focused ahead of tough league games against Arsenal, West Ham and Chelsea.

"It [unbeaten league run] is not important," Pochettino told Sky Sports.

"The next game is important and we need to keep our focus and win the next game. Our start is good but that's nothing."

Alli's goal in first-half additional time was his second of the season as he continued his impressive start to life at Spurs, but Pochettino is refusing to get carried away with his form.

"We need to provide him with the tools to improve his game. He is still young and I always say young players need to keep their feet on the ground. This is very important," he said.

"When you have quality like he does you have to push him and try to improve his game. I'm very pleased with him."