Pochettino pleased to see Moura performing for Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino said he is pleased Lucas Moura is starting to show the type of form that prompted the Premier League club to pay £25 million for the Brazilian in January following a difficult start to life at the club.

With South Korean forward Son Heung-min away at the Asian Games in Indonesia, Moura has seized his chance to impress, starting and scoring in Spurs’ opening three wins in the new campaign which included a man-of-the-match performance in Spurs’ 3-0 win at Manchester United.

Moura, who has been nominated for August’s Player of the Month, has benefited from a full pre-season working under Pochettino after struggling to make an impact following his deadline day move from Paris Saint-Germain in January.

“Look, it’s difficult to guess because in the last five years he was playing in PSG and he was consistent there, playing,” Pochettino said. “But we hope that, why not, he can come through it with a lot of goals to achieve what we want.

“The case was that last season he struggled a lot to adapt himself. All his career was playing on the right. He’s a winger, but this season we tried to adapt him in a position that can bring performances and help the team.

“It’s a new position to play next to Harry [Kane] like a second striker.

“Of course, when he arrived from PSG he was a completely different player from today because he was in a different reality. Was it better? No.

“Different reality from us and, of course, if you don’t improve and change, and don’t work hard, it’s so difficult to fight for a position.

“Of course for the players who arrive in January, always it’s hard for them to adapt to a new system and everything that is new for them.”

Moura is expected to keep his place as Spurs travel to fellow unbeaten side Watford, with Pochettino expecting a tough match. “They have very good players, and I know the manager very well – Javi Gracia is a very great coach, a fantastic coach,” he added.

“It is not a coincidence, because they did a very good job last season and they started well this season. It is going to be tough to play against them.

“It will be a difficult game but an exciting game as we are both at the top of the table and surely it will be a fantastic game to see.”

Elsewhere today, Jose Mourinho will be hoping Manchester United can avoid the ignominy of a third straight defeat following setbacks against Spurs and Brighton & Hove Albion when they travel to struggling Burnley who are yet to win in the Premier League this term.

The Portuguese has come under increasing pressure following a difficult start to the season with United’s only points coming in the opening match of the campaign against Leicester City.

Defeat to Burnley, who have struggled to cope with the extra burden of midweek Europa League games at the start of the campaign, will only increase the pressure on the beleaguered United manager.

Arsenal travel to promoted Cardiff City in the other fixture of the day.

He’s [Moura] a winger, but this season we tried to adapt him in a position that can bring performances MAURICIO POCHETTINO Tottenham Hotspur manager