Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembele believes his team showed their maturity during the win over Chelsea in the Premier League.
A brace from Dele Alli helped Spurs end Chelsea's 13-match winning run in the league to see the leaders' advantage at the top cut to five points.
Dembele acknowledged the significance of the win and said it was another example of Mauricio Pochettino's team growing.
"We have matured," he told UK newspapers.
"We are now another year together. Dele is in his second season with us and is growing all the time.
"All the team now know each other more, and the manager, as well. This was a very important win for us.
"If we hadn't won, Chelsea would have been very difficult to catch."
Only 10 points separate Chelsea and sixth-placed Manchester United, with Spurs third after five straight league wins.
Dembele praised his team for their approach against Antonio Conte's team, who conceded either side of half-time.
"We knew how Chelsea would play. We know they have a lot of quality as well," he said.
"It is not the first time we have played well against Chelsea. But this time when we went in front we did not panic, we kept playing and we wanted to score the second."
