Ange Postecoglou has told Tottenham supporters that beating Manchester City tonight could be a huge moment in his side's development.
Many fans have mixed feelings about the prospect of getting a result against the champions, because doing so would leave bitter rivals Arsenal with the title in their hands going into the final day on Sunday.
The Spurs head coach has said he will "never understand" fans wanting their own side to lose, and believes taking the game to City and winning could prove a landmark result in the progress of his young team.
"If we go out there and try to be who we want to be, and that actually gets you a good performance and a result as well, that has to give you belief," Postecoglou told Standard Sport. "Because if we can do that against City when they're going for a title and at their best, if we can play our football and win, then you leave that as your measure.
"But not just win, because we could get a 1-0 and they could hit the crossbar 10 times and Vic [Guglielmo Vicario] could pull off 50 saves and we think it's some kind of achievement.
"I don't think that. I'd think, 'Okay, it's a great result, but is it really a sign of bridging the gap? No'. So that's where the key component is. It's not easy to do, but are we prepared to really measure ourselves?
"Because if you truly measure yourself there could also be a negative outcome, because you find out we're a hell of a long way off — and that's quite a scary prospect. But I'd rather know than not know.
"So, for me, that's what it's about. If we can go out there — and you look at what City have done in recent times against good opposition — and really play well against them, really unsettle them and that gets us a win, then it is an important moment in our development."
Despite the implications of a Spurs win, Postecoglou is confident his side will have the backing of the home supporters and says he struggles to comprehend why any fan would want their side to lose.
If other people want to get pleasure from other people's misery, that's not how I've lived my life
Ange Postecoglou
"To me, I don't understand it, I never will," said the Australian. "I understand rivalry. I was part of one of the biggest ones in the world in the last couple of years with Celtic and Rangers and I understand the rivalry, but I've never and will never understand if someone wants their own team to lose.
"That's not what sport is about. It's not what I love about the game. What I love more than anything in the game is the competitiveness, challenging yourself to beat someone and coming out successful. Anything outside of that, it's got nothing to do with sport, it's got nothing to do with me.
"If other people want to treat it that way, that they get pleasure from other people's misery, that's not how I've lived my life and how I perceive my role.
"My role is to bring success to this football club, and whatever proportion, whether it's 99 per cent of people [want Spurs to lose], I know 100 per cent of Spurs supporters want us to win [in the long-term], be successful and win trophies. That is without a shadow of a doubt and us winning will help us bring joy to 100 per cent of Spurs supporters."
City have won just once in six visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and never in the Premier League. Victory tonight would put them two points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table heading into the final day.
Pep Guardiola says the prospect of City becoming the first English club to win four consecutive titles has "ignited something in all our heads", and has challenged his players to seize a moment he believes will never come again.
"In the beginning of the season, no, we didn't think about the four Premier Leagues," the City manager said. "If we are in February, March, April, we are still there, we can still do it, but after it ignites something in all our heads that says, 'Guys, no team has done it'.
"To do something that in this country no team has done, you have to do something special, exceptional. It has not happened in the Premier League ever and we have to do it this time. History is in front of us and it is the time to do it. The older guys can win their sixth [title] in seven years. It's not going to happen again. People remember the winners."
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