Aston Villa vs Tottenham: Dele Alli warns Spurs trip to Villa Park won't be an 'easy game'

Warning: Spurs cannot afford to be complacent
Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Sam Long13 March 2016

Dele Alli has warned Tottenham not to expect an "easy game" when they take on Aston Villa later this afternoon.

Spurs are flying high in second place in the Premier League table and have a chance to cut Leicester's lead at the summit to just two points if they beat Remi Garde's strugglers.

Villa, meanwhile, are nine points adrift of safety and have lost their last four top-flight fixtures, with relegation to the second tier appearing to be a certainty.

Mauricio Pochettino's side will be installed as firm favourites at Villa Park but Alli has rejected the notion that the game will be straightforward and urged his teammates to maintain their focus.

“I’ve heard some people say that we have a couple of easy games coming up but I’d have to disagree strongly," Alli told the club's official website.

“I don’t think there are any easy games this season.

"We’ve seen there have been a lot of upsets over the course of the season in the league and we’ve got to make sure this isn’t one of them.

The 19-year-old, who missed the midweek defeat to Borussia Dortmund through suspension, is wary of the threat that a team battling at the wrong end of the table can pose.

"They’re going to be fighting for every minute like their lives depend on it so we need to make sure that we kill them off and just keep trying to get as many goals as we can," he added.

Defender Toby Alderweireld has echoed Alli's sentiments and believes Spurs cannot afford to take their foot off the pedal ahead of the run-in.

"We will need to concentrate and play at a high level otherwise it will be difficult," insisted the Belgian.

"We have to be at the top of our game because if we lack a little, it will end up being a very difficult game for us."

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