Allardyce calls for Sunderland calm ahead of Chelsea visit
REUTERS - Relegation-threatened Sunderland's manager Sam Allardyce has warned his players to learn from Tottenham Hotspur's mistakes and keep their heads when they host Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.
Chelsea came from behind to secure a 2-2 draw with Spurs at Stamford Bridge on Monday night, ending their rivals' hopes of winning the title in an ill-tempered London derby that saw a league-record nine Tottenham players booked.
Sunderland are 18th in the table and a point behind Newcastle United, over whom they have a game in hand. Allardyce said "controlled aggression" was the key to his team continuing their push for Premier League safety.
"You saw it in Tottenham, I think, on Monday night when they lost the plot. We can't afford to do that. We have to stay focused from start to finish," the manager was quoted as saying by the London Evening Standard.
"We want to be aggressive, yes, we want controlled aggression, passion, desire, commitment, yes. But we don't want to go over the top and lose control of ourselves."
Sunderland have two home games against Chelsea and Everton before ending their campaign with a visit to Watford on May 15.
(Reporting by Nivedita Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson)