Tottenham midfielder Eric Dier admits this season's impressive start has been a conscious effort made by the players.

Victory over Watford – themselves enjoying a 100 per cent start to the campaign – will ramp up title expectations.

Dier said: “It's been something we have spoken about a lot in the last couple of weeks, how we felt we have always had slow starts.

"That's happened in each of the last three ­seasons and I've always felt it has hindered us a bit. You are ­constantly playing catch-up.

“We've always had very strong ­periods around Christmas and going into February and March so we really wanted to change that and so far we have.

“But it's still so early, it will be ­another tough game against Watford but we are aiming to go into the ­international break in the best ­possible shape."