De Bruyne says Tottenham clash is huge

Kevin De Bruyne says they cannot let their standards slip as they prepare to take on Tottenham in a huge game on Monday.

City remain unbeaten in the Premier League this season and are setting the pace along with Liverpool, but it is very tight at the top with Spurs just two points behind.

ALSO READ:  Man Utd charged over pitch invasions

The Blues were at their best when beating Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 in midweek, a performance Pep Guardiola described as the best under his leadership, and De Bruyne says they have to maintain those standards at Wembley on Monday night.

The match was originally scheduled for Saturday at Spurs’ new stadium but – with that ground not ready – it was switched. It had to be staged on Monday because Wembley is hosting NFL at the weekend.

That has raised concerns over what state the pitch will be in and De Bruyne admits it could be tough.

ALSO READ: Salah strikes twice as Liverpool beat Red Star

Asked if he had played on an American football pitch before, he said: “Yes, in pre-season. It’s not nice, it’s going to be difficult. I’m not sure how it’s going to be. We hope it will be ok and we can play like we normally do.

“These games are the most important ones. We have to go and show our intent to stay on the top. They’ll try to do the same because they are close (to us). It’s a big one.”