The pitch has taken a battering after NFL London
Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City will be faced with the task of playing on a Wembley pitch in a condition that many would describe as far from ideal.
With NFL London scheduled to take place this past weekend, and the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium not ready, both matches have had to be played at Wembley, with the unavoidable consequence of the pitch taking an absolute battering.
Both the centre of the pitch and both wings are in particularly bad condition, after linebackers and wide receivers dug up the turf during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ clash with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
It was always going to be an issue, but the condition of the pitch is worse than initially feared.
📸 The Wembley pitch ahead of kick-off. 👀 pic.twitter.com/rUvRIrKiCK
— Tottenham News (@Spurs_fl) October 29, 2018
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino and his assistant Jesus Perez were seen inspecting the pitch before the game tonight, presumably figuring out where exactly they might be able to complete two passes on the ground, and where they will have to resort to knocking it long.
Mauricio Pochettino is inspecting the Wembley pitch, with Spurs v Man City just 24 hours after the NFL yesterday.
Preview: https://t.co/R9DLBInouJ pic.twitter.com/5CX0mjNrb0
— Sky Sports Retro (@SkySportsRetro) October 29, 2018
Expect lots of knocking it log through the channels this evening, some shaky moments for City at the back when the ball takes a bobble, and for Pep Guardiola to highlight its condition as a contributing factor if City do not come away from the game with three points.