Mauricio Pochettino: Tottenham 'Rewarded by the Universe' in UCL Win v Man City

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino thinks there is a sense of destiny building around the team's progress in the UEFA Champions League this season.

Spurs progressed to the semi-finals of the competition on Tuesday in dramatic circumstances against Manchester City. Despite a 4-3 loss at the Etihad Stadium, they advanced 4-4 on away goals, with Raheem Sterling's last-gasp goal disallowed after a VAR review.

Having come through one of the competition's all-time classic encounters to setup a semi-final with Ajax, Pochettino said he is beginning to consider whether fate is playing a role in the team's Champions League run, per Adam Crafton of the Daily Mail.

"I believe in the universe," he said. "In November, it was not destiny. At the beginning of the season, nobody believed that destiny was going to reward us. And five years ago, nobody believed we would be here. You need to work hard, to have the option to be rewarded by the universe."

Pochettino referred to the fact that Spurs were close to being eliminated from the competition at the group stage, as they had only managed to pick up one point from their first three games.

Wins over Inter Milan and PSV Eindhoven, followed by a draw with Barcelona, were enough to put Tottenham in the knockout stages. After a comprehensive 4-0 aggregate win over Borussia Dortmund in the last 16, Spurs progressed past City in thrilling fashion on Tuesday:

Football author Raj Bains shared footage of Pochettino from the dressing room after the game against City:

For Tottenham, it's just the second time they have made it to the semi-finals of the competition in their history, and there is clearly a belief growing that they can win it.

Pochettino deserves immense credit for the fact that Tottenham have been able to make it so far. Having not spent any money on improving the team this season, his coaching methods and motivational skills have been key to the team staying in the hunt for the trophy.

He also showcased brilliant tactical acumen on Tuesday, setting up the team up well without star striker Harry Kane and then reacting after midfielder Moussa Sissoko was injured during the game.

ESPN's Liam Twomey put into context the achievement of Spurs:

Pochettino spoke about the challenges the team still have to face:

Tottenham will go up against Manchester City again on Saturday in the Premier League, with the Etihad Stadium club seeking to go back to the top of the table with a win.

Spurs are still in a fight for a top-four berth, and they sit in third place going into the game. It will be an enormous ask for Pochettino to raise his players again and take a positive result from the game just four days on from such a physically and emotionally draining night.