Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino said his side must believe they can overhaul Leicester with seven matches to spare.

His side ran out comfortable winners against Bournemouth with two strikes from Harry Kane and one from Christian Eriksen.

They are now five points behind Claudio Ranieri’s team in an intriguing title race.

Pochettino said: I think this season we play a lot of good games. [Today], it was complete, to score against them in the first action.

“We managed the game, we had control and we did very well.

“The energy of the team is fantastic, we showed a very mature performance, I am very pleased for that.”

Dele Alli assisted Harry Kane for the seventh time in the Premier League this season, making it the best partnership in the league.

Speaking on the striker, Pochettino said: “Harry is one of the best, I think he is one of the best strikers in the world, today was fantastic, it was very good.”

Tottenham will have to show their title resolve in the final fixtures and pick up more points that they did in the corresponding fixtures last season.

Pochettino’s men took just seven points from the remaining fixtures with defeats to Stoke, West Brom, Chelsea and Liverpool.

“It is true, we have a different period from where we come from, after the international break we play one game every week,” Pochettino said.

“We can prepare in a different way and train in a different way.”

But Spurs can be boosted by the fact they have to play less matches that most of the sides around them, with the exception of Leicester.

The Spurs boss said his side must believe that can trim the gap and take Premier League glory for the first time.

He said: “The fixtures that we have, you never know. Every game is different and the circumstance is different.

“Next game will be difficult at Anfield, but so will West Brom.

“You never know, the gap they have against us, we need to reduce it – we need to fight and believe and be ready for the next few games.”