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5 things Tottenham must do to dominate West Ham

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino looks on before the UEFA Champions League group H match between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium on September 13, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino looks on before the UEFA Champions League group H match between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium on September 13, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur and Joe Williams of Barnsley battle for possession during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Tottenham Hotspur and Barnsley at Wembley Stadium on September 19, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur and Joe Williams of Barnsley battle for possession during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Tottenham Hotspur and Barnsley at Wembley Stadium on September 19, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /

1. Everyone must stay cool

The easiest way for Tottenham to lose this match is to get caught up in all of the emotion of the moment. West Ham will try to win this game with heart, Spurs need to be concerned with earning the victory due to skill.

That doesn’t mean that Pochettino’s group shouldn’t fly around and play spirited football. They should stick with their usual high press. What it does mean, however, is that they cannot get caught up in any type of dirty play.

The two stars most likely to get caught up in that sort of mess are Eric Dier and Dele Alli. Both are special talents, but they have a nasty habit of trying to prove how tough they are on the pitch. Pochettino would be smart to have a little word with the entire squad about keeping Saturday’s focus on football.

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There’s a fine line between playing with emotion and playing reckless football. Tottenham must stay on the right side of that line to vanquish West Ham.

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