Spurs face playing Manchester City on a “beat up” Wembley pitch

Tottenham and Manchester City may have to deal with a “beat-up” pitch at Wembley on Monday night, according to Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott.

Elliott helped the Eagles to a 24-18 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in an NFL contest that finished a little over 24 hours before Spurs kick off against the reigning Premier League champions City on the same pitch.

There was a noticeably barren strip down the centre of the field once the game had finished and Elliott, who was successful with all three of his extra-point attempts and a 31-yard field goal on Sunday, conceded the surface was far from ideal.

“I’m not gonna lie, it was a little beat up,” he told Omnisport.

“It was a little muddy in the middle. But it was a cool experience to play here.

“It was something that we played around with pre-game and tried to get used to. They definitely were different conditions. You’ve got to make adjustments and try to make the kicks.”

Elliott is used to kicking in NFL-specific stadiums in America and admitted the Wembley turf was below the usual standards he is accustomed to.

“We use those fields once a week and [they are used] just for [American] football,” he added.

“They’re in a little better condition, obviously, just thicker grass, a different type of turf.”

Chris Long, who plays as a defensive end for the reigning Super Bowl-champion Eagles, admitted he also struggled with the ground.

“The pitch was a little wet,” he noted.

“It was muddy and the footing was tough but guys made the adjustments they needed to with the way they were playing.”

(Goal.com)

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