West Ham United face Tottenham Hotspur next weekend.
During an exclusive interview with the club’s official website, Hammers centre-back Angelo Ogbonna has explained how different his experience of playing big derby games in Italy is to the London derbies he has faced during his time in the capital.
Slaven Bilic’s men face a huge test at White Hart Lane against Spurs next weekend, and the atmosphere will be red-hot as usual, with the emphasis being on the need for players to keep calm, and not let the situation get the better of them.
West Ham United’s Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna
With West Ham sitting just one point outside the relegation zone, next Saturday’s game holds huge importance for the club, and they will want to gain some momentum before they head into a nightmarish looking run of games.
The 28-year-old Italy international described his experience of playing in big derby games throughout his time in Serie A, suggesting they cannot be compared to clashes between fierce London rivals, telling whufc.com:
Chelsea’s Willian in action with West Ham United’s Angelo Ogbonna
“I am looking forward to the atmosphere because our home game against Spurs last season was one of the best atmospheres I have ever seen in England and it was a memorable victory. I have played in big derbies for Juventus but you cannot compare those derbies. The Premier League is different and we face a lot of big derbies. There is a lot of competition.”
Ogbonna has made eight appearances in the Premier League for the Hammers so far this season, and will be vitally important to their chances of success at White Hart Lane next week, with both Winston Reid and James Collins big doubts for the game.
West Ham’s Angelo Ogbonna
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