Tottenham’s Eriksen Says Big Wembley Pitch Will Suit Spurs for Champions League
A difference in pitch size, from White Hart Lane to Wembley Stadium, could suit Tottenham’s playing style according to midfielder Christian Eriksen.
With the Premier League season closing in on 16 days and the UEFA Champions League draw happening on August 25th, before the continental competition gets underway in September, there won’t be much time for Tottenham to adapt to the dimensions of Wembley Stadium’s pitch compared to that of White Hart Lane’s.
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Although slightly narrower than old Wembley, new Wembley still boasts a pitch size of 115 yards (105 meters) long by 75 yards (69 meters) wide.
When compared to White Hart Lane, which Mauricio Pochettino said handicaps his team in the Premier League back in October 2014, the Lane is slightly smaller: 109 yards (100 meters) long by 73 yards (67 meters) wide.
Being six yards (five meters) shorter in length and two yards (two meters) shorter in width shouldn’t be too much of a concern, but playing on a different pitch still takes time.
However Christian Eriksen thinks that a bigger pitch suits Tottenham’s game more. That is, once they get used to it of course.
“I think it will be weird the first few times because we have to get used to the pitch, which is much bigger than at the Lane,” Eriksen told Sky Sports (via London Evening Standard).
“It will be a nice experience to play there and hopefully we will do well because how we play, I think a big pitch will suit our game.”
Along with Tottenham playing in a bigger pitch, Spurs will have a larger crowd on hand as they announced nine days ago on their official website that Wembley’s full capacity of 90,000 will be used during their entire Champions League run.
More supporters cheering Spurs on will help the players perform better according to the Danish international.
“The atmosphere of course will be different, but we know our fans will probably be even louder when we are at Wembley, which will hopefully make us play even better,” said the 24-year-old midfielder.
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The amount of support that Tottenham fans bring with each fixture helps makes matches almost seem winnable no matter who their opponents are. But it will be interesting to see who Spurs will face after the draw on August 25.
Based on Tottenham’s current UEFA coefficient ranking, which is at 20, according to the London Evening Standard’s article linked above, Spurs will be placed in either Pot Two or Three.
The difference between the two pots is that Pot Two could potentially give Mauricio Pochettino’s squad a much kinder draw in their group stage. Whether that’s enough to see them make it out and into the knockout rounds is another story.
The past two seasons have seen Tottenham get a favorable draw in the Europa League, and while the Champions League boasts much stiffer competition, this is something to take note of come August 25th.
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Again, time will tell if everything works out in Tottenham’s favor or not. But whoever they face, Mauricio Pochettino will make sure that his squad is ready to take on other European heavyweights either on Tuesday or Wednesday.
With six matches taking place in the group stage, Spurs just needs to secure second place in their group to advance. Finishing first ensures an easier route towards the final, but making it into the knockout stage should be a high priority even if they end up in second.