Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe says Manchester United remain the Premier League benchmark.

United are at Spurs tomorrow.

"Maybe they've come to Spurs in the past confident of getting three points but now a lot has changed," he told the London Evening Standard. "They look at our squad, it's a strong squad, and I'm sure they know it will be a hard game and that they're looking at it and thinking it will be difficult.

"But United are still the benchmark. You look at the manager they have, the young players who have come through this season and the experienced players who are still there.

"I've been told that they have a winning mentality throughout the club, all the way from the first team through the age-group sides.

"They've done it over the years; they know how to win titles and cups, so it will be a tough game for us. We haven't beaten them for a long time and even though I wasn't at Spurs, I remember the game [in September 2001] in which we were 3-0 up at half-time but they came back to win 5-3.

"You look at their game at Chelsea recently: 3-0 down but drew 3-3.

"During the seasons where they have won the League, they always seem to have scored late equalisers or late winners."