Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Solly March has warned Tottenham Hotspur that the Seagulls will not be playing into their visitors’ hands as the two prepare to square-off. The two sides clash at the AMEX Stadium on Wednesday evening desperate to get their seasons back on track.
Spurs have somewhat fallen out of contention for Champions League football over recent weeks and now sit six points behind fourth-placed Arsenal. Meanwhile, it has not been plain sailing for Graham Potter’s men either having lost each of their last five matches in the Premier League.
It was Tottenham who earned the advantage the last time the sides met - winning 3-1 in the FA Cup in north London. March has fired a stern word to Spurs though that it will not be as easy this time around - and the Seagulls will be gunning for maximum points.
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Speaking with BBC Radio Sussex, the midfielder said: “If we start how we did against Liverpool and just bit more clinical in the final third and a bit sharper, a bit quicker on our toes, then yeah I think we have a chance to beat them.
“They are on form, and I think the last time we played them, we played into their hands a little bit, and they countered on us quite well. It will come our way if we keep working hard.”
A defeat for Tottenham would certainly be hugely damaging for the side - and indeed Antonio Conte - as they aim to return to the Champions League. With Arsenal facing Liverpool later in the evening, Spurs could potentially fall nine points behind the top four - a gap that could potentially end their hopes of securing a place back at Europe’s top table for next season.
Seagulls boss Graham Potter has also been speaking ahead of Wednesday’s clash on the south Coast and also drew on his experience in the previous FA Cup showdown between the two sides.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, he said: "We had a fair experience of what they’re like in the cup. A tough game, they’re a good side, Antonio [Conte] has done a fantastic job, I am big fan of his in terms of how his career has developed and what he has achieved at Tottenham, you can see the way the team acts, he’s a fantastic coach.”
