For a tantalising 24 hours last weekend Tottenham experienced something totally new. This proud club, steeped in past glory and recent mediocrity, sat on top of the Premiership. Trust Arsenal to wreck everything by losing to Manchester United on Sunday.

Impressive wins over Newcastle, Everton and Sheffield Wednesday propelled Spurs to the giddy heights of pole position. But the man upholding the club's traditional swashbuckling style seems to be feeling somewhat out of place.

"I want to have a better image than the one I've got. I want this attacking, exciting Tottenham team that I manage to take the Premier League by storm," said George Graham this week. "If you believe that . . ."

Graham does not celebrate a year in charge at White Hart Lane until early October but the transformation he has overseen is already startling.

"I've done a superb job," he joked. "It's a fact that Spurs were under-achieving. With the players they have had, they have been under-achieving for a while. Last year we reached mid-table security and won a cup, which got us into Europe.

"That was a bonus that I didn't expect but you get back what you put in and I made sure everybody put in as much as they could."

He has continued in the same vein this season. Last week's scoreline at Hillsborough was deceptive.

"I think the fans have gone away absolutely ecstatic from our two home matches, and then we went up to Sheffield and could have scored four," he said.

"I don't know any coach or manager who doesn't want to win games three, four, or five-nil. I'm no different. My philosophy has not changed; we're in a winning profession. The right way to play football is to win matches and, if we can do that playing exciting football, then great."

Not that Graham is getting carried away with his side's start. He readily admits he needs to add four new faces to his squad, as well as to keep players like Sol Campbell and Darren Anderton.

"My best XI would not be good enough," he said. "Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea have got an outstanding 22 outfield players. They are catering for two excellent teams, not one. We are way behind them."

Graham has set his sights on a top-six finish this year and faces his sternest test so far this afternoon. Leeds United, the club he quit to take up the reins at Spurs, visit White Hart Lane still smarting from their 2-1 defeat by Liverpool on Monday.

"I'm delighted by what has happened at Leeds," said Graham. "I played a part; I took over a club that needed serious surgery to the playing side. But David (O'Leary) is going to be an outstanding manager.

"He knows the values of a team that wants to win and he's also an excellent judge of a player. I think he will go on and be a top manager. I just thought I'd pave the way for him and make it easier."

The visitors' jittery start to the season has come as a surprise. "David has got to expect the higher he goes, the more people expect," added Graham. "Now they're expected to challenge the top three. But they are a talented team. I think they can get better and the younger players can improve."

Beating them is Graham's immediate priority. Already without Campbell, Armstrong, Edinburgh and Korsten - the latter snaffled from under O'Leary's nose in the summer - Spurs must give a test to the centre-half John Scales.

Should his squad be further depleted, the manager offers no excuses. "We've had injuries but we've picked up results," he added. "I think there's been too much talk at Tottenham about injuries over the years. We've got to get a tougher mentality about the club." Tougher with a frilly edge, perhaps.

Elsewhere, Arsenal travel to Liverpool, where they have not won for seven years. Anders Limpar and Ian Wright scored in a 2-0 win on that occasion, while the Gunners' backline featured David Seaman, Tony Adams, Nigel Winterburn and Lee Dixon - all likely to play this afternoon. Michael Owen may return for Liverpool.

Wimbledon's nervous start under Egil Olsen could continue with the visit of the inform Chelsea to Selhurst Park. The Blues have never lost in the Premiership at the Dons' adopted home, while Wimbledon currently share with Newcastle the worst defensive record in the division.

Paul Merson and Andy Townsend will both line up against their former clubs as those traditional early-season flatterers Aston Villa and Middlesbrough meet at Villa Park.