Tottenham are fitter than ever before but Mauricio Pochettino warns his team the hard work has only just begun

Mauricio Pochettino says his super-fit Tottenham Hotspur squad are beating all of their physical stats from this time last year, but joked that it is now up to his assistant and fitness specialist Jesus Perez to ensure they maintain their condition going into the second half of the season.

The Argentine acknowledged that the change in their internal club numbers was down to playing on Wembley’s bigger pitch, and that it could have an impact later in the season, but also said that it is good preparation for the move to the new White Hart Lane since it will have similar dimensions to the national stadium.

“It's true that this season, we are beating our physical stats because when you play at Wembley, you spend more energy,” Pochettino said. “The team has improved a lot in the physical stats and now we need to see the effect over the Christmas period. But yes, it’s new for us but in the same way it's a very good test because we’re going to play in the stadium we're building which will be similar to Wembley, the size of the pitch.

“Of course it’s a fantastic test for us next season to have a better idea for next season. The ball in play changes a lot. If you compare White Hart Lane to Wembley, the square metres changes a lot. I think we are one of the best teams today, in terms of effort. We are on the top. That always has an impact on your physical condition.

"For three years, we played at White Hart Lane, it was completely under control. It was high-intensity, no? But today it's true that we are finding different stats, and of course we need to be careful and be right with how we assess and make our decisions in the next few months.”

When it was put to Pochettino that his side had the best record in the Premier League over the gruelling December-January fixture schedule for the last two years, Pochettino joked: “I think it's Jesus' responsibility! We arrived in a good moment. If we can recover [Erik] Lamela and [Victor] Wanyama and all can feel fresh again, we're going to be more competitive and strong.”

Pochettino argued this recent record is why the club can start to look beyond just finishing in the top four, even though goalkeeper Hugo Lloris said this week that should be their first concern before getting to the title.

“Yes, I understand Hugo. It's the feeling. Of course, if you came from Mars today, or outside of the universe, and you arrive in the Premier League and you say, 'Oh Tottenham, in the last two seasons fights for the title.' And you would say, 'Why not fight to win the league again?’ Of course the team needs title. If not, this is s***.

"But Hugo who was here for a long time before knows it is not easy to be a regular in the top four, like Arsenal was doing for 22 years, and try to be a real contender. You know? Because Hugo is realistic.

"Of course, he is the first who wants to win titles - the Champions League, the Premier League, everything - but he's 30 years old, and he's clever and realistic. He knows we need to settle the bases and when we are a team that is regular in the top four and we show we are real contenders for different reasons, you know better than me and him to expect everything from Tottenham. But today the project that we, the moment that we are, sometimes people become crazy to expect from us to be like Real Madrid or the best Barcelona, the dream team.

"Sometimes the reality is not related to the expectation.”