Jose Fonte and Victor Wanyama played together at Southampton and will face off this week when West Ham and Tottenham do battle.
West Ham United’s Jose Fonte in action
West Ham United take on Tottenham Hotspur this Friday as they seek to ruin their rivals’ title chances.
Spurs can move to within one point of rivals Chelsea temporarily with a victory, putting the pressure on the Blues before their weekend match.
The game pits former Southampton teammates against each other, when West Ham new boy Jose Fonte takes on Victor Wanyama and Toby Alderweireld.
Fonte, who also played under Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino at St Marys, praised Wanyama as one of the Premier League’s very best players in his position.
Tottenham’s Victor Wanyama in action
He told West Ham’s club website: “Alderweireld is a great player and we had a great season together, while Wanyama is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, so what can you say? They are great guys.”
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic may not share Fonte’s enthusiasm for Victor Wanyama.
Last season Bilic slammed Wanyama after a clash between the Hammers and the Saints, which saw the Kenyan red carded after scything down Dimitri Payet.
He blasted [via The Guardian]: “For me there is no place in football for those kind of tackles and they should be punished.”
Southampton’s Victor Wanyama fouls West Ham United’s Dimitri Payet and is sent off
Wanyama signed for Tottenham in the summer for just £12 million, and has gone onto show why he is one of the best bargains of the season.
Frustratingly for West Ham, this is the sort of price range they should be focusing on rather than trying to over-extend themselves as they did last summer.
Wanyama has not been sent off at all since signing for Tottenham, and there should not be a repeat of last season on the cards against West Ham. With a title challenge at stake, he can’t afford to have that trend be reversed now.
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