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I love that team - David Luiz admires Spurs 'monsters'

I love that team - David Luiz admires Spurs 'monsters'

Chelsea defender David Luiz admires Tottenham's "monsters" and is expecting the FA Cup semi-final between the top two sides in the Premier League to be a fantastic match.

Spurs have reduced Chelsea's lead at the top of the table to four points thanks to a run of seven straight victories ahead of Sunday's clash at Wembley.

And Brazil defender David Luiz is full of admiration for the fitness levels of the Spurs players, calling for Chelsea to follow the lead of midfield dynamo N'Golo Kante to match their opponents' prodigious energy.

"For me they are an amazing team with an amazing coach in Mauricio Pochettino," he told the London Evening Standard.

"They are the best physical team in the league. All 11 players are monsters. I love that team.

"It will be a difficult game for us. We need to be ready to play against one of the best sides in this League. But it was always going to be hard when you reach a semi-final.

"Will we have to be monsters too? Yes. Chelsea also have some monsters and play like a monster like N'Golo Kante. We have different kinds of monsters.

"It will be a fantastic game, both clubs are in amazing shape. It will be a top-quality match to watch and you have to play top quality to win."

Antonio Conte's switch to a back three is widely credited with being the turning point in Chelsea's season and David Luiz is enjoying playing in the new system.

"People ask me if this is the best form of my career," the PFA Premier League Team of the Year nominee added. "I don’t remember the past, I'm getting old!

"But I do think I'm playing very well. I'm older and have more experience. I am more mature and I am happy with this.

"I am playing in a more tactical position. I need to be ready to occupy the space of the others. So it’s more about action than reaction.

"The system is very good because we have the players to fit in their positions. You can see that Victor Moses is amazing in his [right‑wing back] position, nobody knew that before.

"It’s not just about the system, it’s about the characteristics of the players. We have the perfect mix and we are happy with this."