Moussa Sissoko has looked back on Newcastle’s narrow win over Gillingham to warn Spurs against complacency.
Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko in action with Sunderland’s Papy Djilobodji
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Moussa Sissoko has told the club’s official website that his team-mates can’t afford to be complacent against Gillingham this evening.
Spurs take on League One side Gillingham in the EFL Cup this evening, with manager Mauricio Pochettino likely to rotate his squad ahead of his weekend’s Premier League clash with Middlesbrough.
Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko in action with Sunderland’s Steven Pienaar
Even with young players like Cameron Carter-Vickers and Joshua Onomah in line to play, Tottenham are expected to claim the win – but they have been offered a warning by their most recent signing.
A deadline day addition from Newcastle United, midfielder Moussa Sissoko made his first start for Spurs against Sunderland on Sunday, and may well be involved again tonight.
Ahead of kick off, Sissoko has looked back on when he played 90 minutes for Newcastle against Gillingham just over two years ago, a game which the Magpies snatched 1-0 thanks to a John Egan own goal.
Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko
Sissoko is aware of Gillingham being a potential banana skin, and he has drawn on his experience with Newcastle to warn his team-mates against complacency.
The French international has told Tottenham’s official website that he remembers facing Gillingham once, and felt it was ‘tough’ as Newcastle had to fight for their win.
Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko in action with Sunderland’s Javi Manquillo
Ultimately though, Sissoko feels that if Tottenham focus, they should come out winners against Justin Edinburgh’s side this evening.
“It was away, I remember it well,” said Sissoko. “It was tough because we were fighting from the beginning to the end. Even if you are playing against a smaller team it’s not easy because they want to show they can compete with the best teams in the world but that is good – that is why people love football because everyone can beat everyone.”
“For us, we need to be focused and keep our concentration from the beginning. They will come here, they will be compact, they will be narrow, there won’t be too much space and they will fight for every ball so we need to be patient, control the ball, make a lot of movement and try to score as soon as possible. I think if we are focused and we play at 100 per cent, we will win the game,” he added.
What’s your prediction for Tottenham v Gillingham?
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