Dele: 'It's an important time of the season, both teams will go at it'
Tue 30 January 2018, 13:15|
Tottenham Hotspur
Dele Alli is looking forward to his latest encounter with Manchester United on Wednesday – a match that could prove crucial in the race for 2018-19 Champions League qualification.
Sitting two points outside the Premier League’s top four prior to the midweek programme of fixtures, victory over Jose Mourinho’s men at Wembley would see us close the gap on second-placed United to five points.
With Chelsea, Liverpool and sixth-placed Arsenal also in the mix, winning matches against our top six rivals is key if we’re going to maintain our place among Europe’s elite for a third straight season.
For Dele, who was part of the MK Dons side that famously thrashed the Red Devils 4-0 in the League Cup in August, 2014, and also made his Spurs debut against United at Old Trafford a year later, it’s all about 100 per cent focus on each match as it comes.
“We can’t look too much at the table and we can’t afford to look ahead to the next game,” said the England international, who also tasted victory against Wednesday night’s opponents in the final game at White Hart Lane in May last year.
“We can only control what is in front of us and, on Wednesday, that’s a game against Manchester United.
“We know it’s an important time of the season and these games are great opportunities to close the gap on the teams above us, but we’re all fighting for the same thing. At the moment, we’re just solely focused on this match and if we win, we would go into the next one with a lot of confidence.”
Heading into such a high-profile match, Dele is calling on the memory of big Wembley wins against the like of Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid already this term as he bids to plot the downfall of Mourinho’s men.
“We’re trying to make Wembley feel like home this season and I think we’ve done that,” he added.
“It’s a tough place for teams to come and we’ve only lost once at home in the league so far in 2017-18.
“We’ve faced teams with different styles this season and against United, it’s likely that both teams will go at it with each other so we’ll enjoy that challenge, make sure we play as well as we can and look to get the three points.”
Read more from Dele in the main interview of Wednesday night’s official matchday programme – on sale from various points around Wembley Stadium, priced at £3.50 for 100 pages.
