'Aren't we going to just try to win?' - Postecoglou

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has said he "will never understand if somebody wants their team to lose" before Tuesday's game against Manchester City.

The outcome of the game could have a huge bearing on the title race as if Tottenham win or draw, Spurs' local rivals Arsenal would remain as leaders heading into Sunday's final round of fixtures.

At his pre-match news conference on Monday, Postecoglou was asked several questions about the possibility that some Spurs fans would want their own side to lose to City - a result that would reduce the chance of Arsenal ending their 20-year wait for a league title.

He said: "There's a pretty simple notion to this; there's a game of football tomorrow night. What do you think is going to happen? What do you think we are going to do as a team, or any team on this planet? Aren't we going to just try to win? It's a simple premise. How that makes people feel, I'm not really fussed and I don't really care.

"I'd hate to think anyone thinks we would go out with anything other than trying to measure ourselves against a top team and maybe win a game of football that's consequential.

"How are we ever going to become a team that wins things if we don't win the big games, if we shy away from it? Why would would shy away from a challenge that exists?"

Asked later if he felt it was a bigger thing now for football fans to want to revel in the potential misfortune of rivals, the Tottenham boss added: "I understand rivalry, I was part of the biggest ones in the world in the past couple of years with Celtic and Rangers, but I will never understand if somebody wants their own team to lose.

"That's not what sport's about. What I love more than anything else is the competitiveness, challenging yourself to beat someone and come out successful. Anything outside of that has got nothing to do with sport as far as I'm concerned.

"If other people want to treat it that way, where they derive pleasure from others' misery - that's not how I've lived my life and that's not how I perceive my role. My role is to bring success to this football club.

"Whatever proportion - whether it's [speaking to reporters] his two mates or the 99% of the people you know - I know 100% of Spurs supporters want us to win, be successful and win trophies.

"Us winning tomorrow night will help us bringing joy to 100% of Spurs supporters."