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.