Crazy omen as West Ham aim to wreck Spurs’ dreams yet again 11 years after Lasagne-gate

Follow us on Google Discover

West Ham United entertain bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Friday night and a bad omen is looming large over the match.

West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic and Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino

The Hammers need another win to secure safety in what has been a torrid second season under Slaven Bilic.

Sitting 15th in the Premier League, their fortunes are in stark contrast to the record breaking last ever season at the Boleyn Ground when the club finished just four points off the Champions League places.

While the Hammers have taken 10 steps backwards this season, their fierce rivals Spurs have continued their progression into genuine title contenders under Mauricio Pochettino.

The North Londoners will have the chance to cut the gap on Chelsea to just one point and push West Ham deeper in the mire in the process when they visit the Olympic Stadium on Friday night.

But a remarkably bad omen is looming large over the game for Tottenham as it falls almost precisely 11 years on from the infamous Lasagne-gate match between the sides at Upton Park which cost Spurs a place in the Champions League.

Martin Jol was Spurs manager at the time

Martin Jol’s team needed to match the result of their arch rivals Arsenal when the visited the Boleyn Ground on that fateful day on May 7th 2006.

But many feel the match was lost the night before, with fingers pointed at a tray of lasagne at the team hotel which left many of the squad suffering a bout of food poisoning.

West Ham relished every minute of inflicting a 2-1 defeat on their foes as a Thierry Henry inspired Arsenal won 4-2 against Wigan.

With it went Tottenham’s finest chance for a decade to make the Champions League and the club did not take it well either.

Yossi Benayoun’s goal secured a 2-1 win for West Ham

Spurs contacted the Premier League, demanding the right to a replay and when it was flatly rejected, investigations centred upon what had triggered the virulent bug.

Of course this time Spurs have already sealed Champions League qualification but something even more valuable is at stake, a first title since 1961.

Hammers fans have dined out on the Lasagne-gate win ever since. If they end Tottenham’s hopes of the title 11 years on, the ignominy could last a lifetime.