Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino believes Sergio Aguero is the best out-and-out striker in the world, likening the Argentinian’s genius to Mozart.
Spurs are on Saturday bidding to stop Aguero’s Manchester City, who scored 11 goals and conceded once in the sides’ Premier League meetings last season.
Pochettino said: “When he plays it is like classical music in my head. It is unbelievable. I think he is the best striker in the world.
“I love Aguero. It’s like Mozart – Beethoven is too crazy.
“For me, Aguero is the best. (Lionel) Messi is not a striker striker, Cristiano Ronaldo is not a striker striker, but Aguero is a striker.
“Everything you have to have as a striker, he has.”
Pochettino insists he is not biased based on national alliances and, despite his assessment, is confident Spurs can stop the former Atletico Madrid striker at the Etihad Stadium.
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“He is Argentinian, like me, but he is the best,” Pochettino added.
“We need to make it difficult for him, to make the game difficult, to avoid the possibilities of him scoring.”
Spurs must also limit the influence of another outstanding individual in Yaya Toure.
Pochettino’s Espanyol side once did so against Barcelona and Spurs must subdue the Ivory Coast midfielder on Saturday.
“I think he’s the best player in his position (in the Premier League),” Pochettino added.
“For me he is a great, great player. There are three or four or five like him in the world.
“We will try to stop him. I had a good experience in the derby in Spain, Espanyol v Barca, Toure was there on the pitch, and we at Espanyol won 2-1. It was good for us. That was positive.”
Pochettino banishes bad memories and experiences from his mind and has consigned last season’s 6-0 and 5-1 losses – under his predecessors Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood – to history.
He will not even watch those games ahead of the Etihad adventure.
He added: “This is a different season, different team, different manager, different players.
“(There is) never any value in watching old games. The games from one week ago have no value. You need to look forward.
“The past is good for statistics.
“We need to improve every day and keep the same level we had against Southampton (Spurs won 1-0 in their most recent match) and keep it for as long as possible in the next game.
“This is the way, and we try and play every game better.”
Pochettino will demand that Spurs do not meekly surrender against City.
He said: “We know City won the Premier League last season and they have a strong squad and very good team. First, we need to compete, we need to show that we can compete with a team like Manchester City.”
Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris will be given every opportunity to prove his fitness after being forced out of France duty with a thigh injury.
Belgium midfielder Nacer Chadli (hip) will be given a chance to prove his fitness, too, while striker Emmanuel Adebayor and Nabil Bentaleb will be assessed on their returns from international duty on Friday.
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