LONDON -- Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has said his players are having to work harder than ever before as they approach the busy festive period.
Spurs were the only Premier League club not to drop a point over Christmas and New Year last season, winning seven straight matches between Dec. 14 and Jan. 14.
Spurs are fourth, 11 points behind leaders Manchester City, but this year are playing their home games at Wembley on a pitch significantly bigger than the one they had at White Hart Lane.
And Pochettino believes that puts an additional strain on his squad, telling a news conference: "This season, we are beating our physical stats [from previous seasons], because when you play at Wembley you spend more energy.