Mauricio Pochettino: 'Tottenham Hotspur have nothing to prove'

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that his side have "nothing to prove" as they prepare for their first game back in Europe's elite competition.

Spurs may have slipped off the title pace in the closing stages of last season, but they still achieved their highest Premier League finish and made sure of a place in the 2016-17 Champions League.

The Lilywhites face AS Monaco, CSKA Moscow and Bayer Leverkusen in the group stage of the competition, starting with the current Ligue 1 leaders at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday evening - a match Pochettino claims will be just like any other for his group of players.

"When you're a manager in the Premier League you prove if you're good or not because the Premier League is the toughest competition in the world," he told reporters.

"When you compete against Manchester United, City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, we're talking about the top clubs in the world.

"In the Champions League, we play Monaco, CSKA Moscow and Bayer Leverkusen, and it's just as tough to play against Monaco as it is to play against Stoke, in Stoke. There is nothing to prove."

Spurs have made a bright start to their Premier League campaign, having taken eight points from the first 12 on offer to find themselves sitting in fifth place.