Caulker: Stoke will give Spurs a test
Tottenham Hotspur defender Steven Caulker believes that his side will have to work extra hard in order to beat a 'tough' Stoke City side.
By ESPNSTAR.com staff
Spurs, fresh from their 1-0 win over Swansea last weekend, will welcome Tony Pulis' Stoke to White Hart Lane on Saturday.
The Potters have done reasonably well since the beginning of this season, picking up a respectable 24 points from their first 17 games, and are currently 9th in the Premier League.
Given that Tony Pulis' men have conceded the least amount of goals [13] in the league so far this season, Caulker knows that his side will not have it easy against the Potters when the two teams clash.
"I think Stoke are a tough side, a strong physical team and we know it is going to be a difficult test," Caulker was quoted as saying by the official Spurs website.
"Not too many teams play that way, but they have a real presence about them and they do what they do very well.
"They are very hard to beat on their day."
Having played Swansea, known for their free-flowing passing style of football, in their last game, Caulker claims his side must adapt to counter the Potters' more direct and physical approach if they are to get anything out from the game.
"Obviously they are a very different team to Swansea, who like to play the ball out from the back and pass through midfield to their forwards, whereas Stoke are a little more direct," Caulker added.
"Both teams play to their strengths though and they both present us with different challenges.
"It's up to us to combat that and at the end of the day, it's all about getting the three points, whoever we play."
Spurs, currently on 29 points, are fourth in the table and could leapfrog Chelsea to go third with a win, albeit having played two games more than the Blues.