Wembley pitch 'beat up' by NFL stars ahead of Tottenham's clash with Man City

Liam Blackburn

Wembley pitch 'beat up' by NFL stars ahead of Tottenham's clash with Man City image

Tottenham and Manchester City may have to deal with a "beat-up" pitch at Wembley on Monday night, according to Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott.

Elliott helped the Eagles to a 24-18 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in an NFL contest that finished a little over 24 hours before Spurs kick off against the reigning Premier League champions City on the same pitch.

There was a noticeably barren strip down the centre of the field once the game had finished and Elliott, who was successful with all three of his extra-point attempts and a 31-yard field goal on Sunday, conceded the surface was far from ideal. 

"I'm not gonna lie, it was a little beat up," he told Omnisport.

"It was a little muddy in the middle. But it was a cool experience to play here.

"It was something that we played around with pre-game and tried to get used to. They definitely were different conditions. You've got to make adjustments and try to make the kicks."

Elliott is used to kicking in NFL-specific stadiums in America and admitted the Wembley turf was below the usual standards he is accustomed to. 

"We use those fields once a week and [they are used] just for [American] football," he added.

"They're in a little better condition, obviously, just thicker grass, a different type of turf."

Chris Long, who plays as a defensive end for the reigning Super Bowl-champion Eagles, admitted he also struggled with the ground.

"The pitch was a little wet," he noted.

"It was muddy and the footing was tough but guys made the adjustments they needed to with the way they were playing."

Liam Blackburn