Manuel Pellegrini e is looking for a joyful double tomorrow as the Hammers take on the deadly rivals in North London.It would get no better than to become the first team to win in the new stadium whilst beating Spurs is just the ultimate League victory anyway.
Speaking to reporters he said: “Of course, double pleasure. First to beat Tottenham – that is a rival in the North of London – and the second is the first to win in that stadium.
Aware of the intense rivalry between the two clubs he declared: “I hope that first of all that both fans will go to see a good football game inside the pitch – no problem at the outside of the stadium because I think it is important to keep the level of the Premier just as a competition in football and not rivalry of the fans outside of the stadium. I hope it will be a good game for all the fans and we can win.
Discussing the Spurs dual mission of winning this game as they prepare for the Champions League semi final he said: “Mauricio Pochettino knows perfectly also that he must qualify for the next Champions League.
Maybe you can win arrive in the final. If you don’t win the final, you are out of the next CL. Instead at this moment, he is in the third position in the table and they play at home and that is why I expect to find a team just focusing on our game and not thinking about Tuesday.”
The missing Harry Kane may be considered a help to the Hammers but Pelle said: They are a squad and they have very many players who are a good replacement.
It is not Kane but is Llorente, Lucas Moura, Son, so they have a lot of different options to play in attack so to have one player less.
Kane is a very important player for them also – but we have played the whole season with an average of six or seven players out.