Our Manchester United fans here in the Transfer Tavern have seen a third team join the supposedly two-horse race for the Premier League title between the Manchester clubs.

Spurs have crept into the title race and currently stand joint second alongside Man United, with both trailing Man City by eight points and our local Mancunians think the Citizens look like they’re going to take some stopping to give United or Spurs the chance to close the gap.

Pep Guardiola’s team are playing some fantastic football at present while the Red Devils are looking like they’ve hit some kind of brick wall after a great free-scoring start to the campaign, having now only won twice in the past five Premier League games.

Tottenham Hotspur, on the other hand, look like their Wembley win curse is well and truly behind them as they look stronger and stronger each week, but you fear the key to keeping the momentum going is to keep star striker Harry Kane fit.

Either way, our punters think Guardiola is rubbing his hands in delight as both these two English giants of the game battle it out to reach his City side at the summit and here’s our landlord’s two reasons why he’ll be confident that it’s Spurs not United with the only challenge this season…

The Mourinho Stat

Jose Mourinho has to do something he’s never achieved as a manager and that’s to win a league title when trailing behind after 11 games. Incredible to think really, that after so much excitement over the course of the summer, the title race could already be over for the Portuguese.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have proven they get stronger as the season progresses, something that can’t be said for the Red Devils.

This stat will give Guardiola great confidence as the season progresses as Mourinho likes to lead from the front in both the league and on the pitch and when this doesn’t go to plan, things usually don’t turn out too well for the Portuguese.

The Big game mentality

We’ve seen it in the big games already this season against Liverpool and Chelsea. Although it did work against Spurs, Mourinho likes to set up his teams against the top six sides with the mentality not to lose rather than to go out and win at all costs and if they can grab a goal… great.

Largely, they’ll defend it to the hilt but if not there only motive is not to concede, something that seems to be a tactic from a few years ago now. With six big away games a campaign, Mourinho cannot afford to give up points willy nilly, as he has done already.