Toby Alderweireld believes Tottenham’s excellent start to the season has left opposition teams fearing playing at White Hart Lane.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side were irresistible at times during Sunday’s 4-1 victory over West Ham, which not only put them within two points of the top four but also maintained their unbeaten home run during the current Premier League campaign. Next up at White Hart Lane are Chelsea and Alderweireld is confident Spurs can take another scalp in front of their own supporters.
“We don’t think too much about the league table, we think about our own form,” said the Belgian defender. “At home we have to be strong. Teams don’t want to come here any more so that’s nice and we have to keep it that way.
“Next Sunday’s Chelsea, it’s a massive game, but we want to win every game and then we’ll see where it gets us. In the back we’re very solid, we have a good base, and up front we’re very strong. That gives a good feeling, that we can beat every team. If we’re on top, if we work very hard for the team, that’s the most important thing, and if one makes a mistake the rest pick it up, that’s the mentality we want.”
Alderweireld has settled well at Spurs having joined the club from Atlético Madrid for £11.4m in July after a season on loan at Southampton, and scored his second goal for them in the weekend victory over West Ham. The 26-year-old could have been forgiven for going into the match in a distracted state given the current police lockdown in Brussels following the Paris terrorist attacks.
“It’s not been as hard as for the French but of course it impacts you. Belgium is close to France, and you know that in Brussels there’s a lot of problems there,” said Alderweireld. “My family’s in Antwerp, not so far from Brussels, and my brother is a police officer in Brussels, so that’s why. It affects you a little but I try to focus on football and hope that nothing terrible happens.
“My brother, he never gets a day off. Every free day is gone, so he has to work every day, sometimes in different places to where he usually works. He doesn’t talk a lot about it. It’s not a good situation and hopefully it’s quickly over.”
