Mauricio Pochettino vows to stay at Spurs for 20 years, praises Arsene Wenger

Mauricio Pochettino has vowed to remain at Tottenham Hotspur for two decades, revealing he wants to emulate Arsene Wenger.

The Argentine takes his side to the Emirates for this season's first North London derby on Saturday (18 November) and was full of praise for his Arsenal counterpart, suggesting Wenger stood among the sport's greatest managers.

"What he is doing at Arsenal and as a manager, I would like to be like him one day," Pochettino was quoted as saying by the Telegraph.

"Twenty years at Tottenham."

"In football history he is one of the great managers, the same level as [Sir Alex] Ferguson. Everyone who talks about him needs to show respect. For me he will always be a special manager. To stay 20 years in a club and stay always at the top is not easy.

"To stay in a club for five years is because you are a good manager, if you stay 10 years it is because you must be very good. But to stay more than 20 years is because you are special."

Last season, Pochettino's men finished 11 points clear of Arsenal, the first time Spurs had finished above their rivals during Arsene Wenger's tenure at the club. They go into Saturday's clash four points and three places clear of their rivals.

While Spurs have already booked a ticket for the round of 16 of the Champions League, Arsenal are sitting out European football's elite competition for the first time under Wenger and are already 12 points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City.

More worryingly for the Gunners, they have already lost four times in the league this season, the most of any team in the top seven, and Wenger has come under intense criticism for his side's performances.

Some have suggested the Frenchman has lost his touch and he should have been sacked at the end of last season, despite winning two FA Cups in the last three campaigns.

However, Pochettino maintains the 68-year-old's legacy has not been dented by the fact Arsenal last won a Premier League title in 2004. Instead, the Frenchman's influence on English football continues to be felt, the Argentine added.

"Wenger was an innovator, ahead of everyone, like Ferguson," he said.

"It is difficult to innovate but you must try to create a project under your ideas and philosophies to take you ahead of other clubs. They were ahead. That is why my respect and admiration is high."

Spurs have the chance to make a statement of intent on Saturday, but to do so they must secure a first win at the Emirates in seven years, where the last three league meetings have all ended in a 1-1 draw.

Furthermore, Spurs have won just once in 16 games away against the so-called Big Six since Pochettino took over in the summer of 2014, but their record against their local rivals has steadily improved since the former Southampton manager's arrival.

Having gone unbeaten in 21 meetings in all competitions against Tottenham between 1999 and 2008, Arsenal have lost twice in their last six games against Spurs, triumphing just once in that period.