Stuart Pearce has stated that Tottenham will give West Ham a stern test ‘no matter what’ even though they have just appointed Antonio Conte as manager, as he told talkSPORT (02/11/21 at 7:45 am).
West Ham and Spurs locked horns last month in the Premier League, with the former coming out as 1-0 winners, but a certain Nuno Espirito Santo was in the dugout, at that point.
The London duo will face-off again next month, but this time in the quarter-finals of the League Cup, with the North London outfit now having a new man in the dugout.
The now-sacked Nuno saw-off the defeat at the London Stadium and fans weren’t too happy with the manner in which they lost.
Antonio Conte, who was appointed by Spurs on Tuesday, 24 hours after Nuno’s departure, will make sure that his team showcase the fight, desire and aggression that has been missing this season.
Of course, a fair few games need to be played during that period, so it will be interesting to see what form both teams will be in when that fixture comes about.
But given the change from Spurs, West Ham coach Pearce was asked to share his thoughts on now facing Conte’s Tottenham, rather than Nuno’s.
“I think Spurs will give you a stern test, no matter what,” said Pearce. “It’s a big rival game for us. I think it’s a big game for both teams.
“It’s about a month and a half down the line. But it’s a quarter-final of the cup and both will be looking to progress to the final of a cup, so it will be slightly different.
“Different manager and different tactics. One thing you do know with Tottenham is that they have some very good players and it will be a tough ask for us.”
Tottenham have lost every single London derby they have played this season, which is a damning indictment of the man who has just left.
Tottenham can end that barren run in December because they have two London derbies awaiting them.
First, they will take on newly-promoted Brentford on home soil, before that mouthwatering clash with the Hammers.
David Moyes’s men have been outstanding this season and are currently flying both, on the domestic scene and in Europe.
Level on points with the champions of the Premier League and a 100% start to their Europa League campaign.
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