Tottenham Hotspur

Moussa Dembele: 'Small pitch hampering attacking play'

By Joe Fish, Reporter | 29 October 2013

Tottenham midfielder Moussa Dembele claims that the small White Hart Lane playing surface is responsible for their lack of home Premier League goals this season.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Moussa Dembele has claimed that their small home playing surface is responsible for the club's lack of domestic goals this season.

Spurs have only scored five goals in as many Premier League matches on their own turf this term, netting nine in total, and have needed Roberto Soldado penalties to beat both Hull City and Swansea City.

The White Hart Lane pitch is 100m by 67m, while most top-flight grounds are 105m by 68m, and Dembele has admitted that they find it difficult to break defensive-minded teams down because of the lack of space in which there is to move the ball.

"It's not easy for us," he told the London Evening Standard. "We know that some teams are going to come here and make a block, and we don't have a big pitch so it's even more difficult.

"A small pitch makes it harder. If we have more space, it's easier for us but we have to find a way. It's maybe a bit easier for us when teams try to attack us. It was a similar situation last year in games like this.

"We hardly ever win them comfortably but we have a lot of quality in the squad, so there must be a way to find it and I think we will."

Lillywhites manager Andre Villas-Boas criticised the club's fans for the lack of support from inside the stadium during their victory over the Tigers on Sunday.