Tottenham Hotspur take on Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League quarter final on Tuesday evening.
The visitors come into the tie as massive favourites but one thing that could work to Spurs’ advantage is the fact that the game will be played at the stunning new stadium in North London.
The 62,062 capacity arena which hosted its first Premier League game last Wednesday is likely to have an electric atmosphere once again.
However, it remains to be seen if that will be enough to stop Pep Guardiola’s men who are pursuing the Quadruple.
Former Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas has suggested how Pochettino has to set his side up to get the better of the visitors.
In an article he penned for the Daily Mail, Jenas said that Spurs must look to press City high up the pitch in order to force mistakes.
However, he also admitted that it would be a risky tactic, and expressed doubts about whether Tottenham could execute it properly.
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He wrote, “When Tottenham inflicted a first defeat on Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager, in 2016, the key to that victory was Spurs’ intense high press. Mauricio Pochettino had his midfielders pushing up on to City’s defenders.
“The idea is that you are trying to keep the ball away from their best players, disrupt their rhythm. You have a better chance of winning the ball back off their defenders than you do from David Silva or Ilkay Gundogan.
“It is high risk, though. The key is timing. Every player has to buy into it. It’s all or nothing. If one person is not doing it 100 per cent, it becomes easy for a team like City.
“Before you know it, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane are running at your back four. Tottenham tried to do it again at the Etihad last season and lost 4-1. My worry for Spurs is I do not think they are capable of doing it.
“They do not seem as athletic as they were. Against Liverpool, they could not press high because they had five at the back with their wing backs deep.
“When they do that, they do not often get the balance right. If they sit too deep, they take Harry Kane out of the game. They get nowhere near enough numbers high up and he’s left on his own. They need a complete performance, you can’t afford a bad 45 minutes.”
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