Mark Noble has sent Spurs a timely reminder that the Hammers were the first team to beat Arsenal at the Emirates and plan to put it across Spurs in their new stadium this weekend.
He recalled: “Twelve years ago, we went to the Emirates to play Arsenal, who were also unbeaten in their new place, but we managed it 1-0, with a goal from Bobby Zamora.
Writing in the London Evening Standard the skipper said: We could have been 6-0 down after 30 minutes but our goalkeeper, Rob Green, was Superman that day. I played — I was 19 — and I remember thinking after they had four one-on-ones and failed to score, “This could just be our day”.
And he added: “I don’t know what team Mauricio Pochettino will put out, but it’s only natural that those who will be involved against will not want to risk injury. That game is one of the biggest in their history and, no disrespect to Ajax, Spurs will surely fancy their chances to go through to the final.”
Noble is still smarting from one point from the last two games which arguably we thoroughly deserved to win and said: “You rely on officials to get things right but in our case over the last couple of weeks they haven’t and it has cost us points.
We deserve something to go our way, especially after the way we played against Manchester United and large parts of the game against Leicester.
I’m relishing the game tomorrow. It’s no coincidence that Spurs, with the facilities they have — the stadium and the training ground — are where they are.
We’re just hoping, though, that we can be the first team to score there. If we do that and don’t concede, we’ll be taking the points back to east London.
I enjoy playing Spurs. Over the years I’ve been involved in some great wins and some really bad defeats, but the atmosphere is always special.”
ClaretandHugh says: We fancy the Irons tomorrow. As Noble said, a local derby – and one which means more to the Hammers fans than any other – is simply not what the north Londoners need at this point in what could be an historic season for them. And with the boys in claret and blue carrying a real grudge into the match following two results which – let’s face it – were all wrong a shock could so easily be on the cards. Spurs are carrying a lot of injuries and then there will be those held back for the Ajax match. If – as they saying goes – there’s a good time to be playing them that time is now. The Hammers of course have issues at both ends of the pitch. We let em in and too often can’t find a cutting edge. But this is a match unlike any other for us and and if we continue to play as we have done over the last couple of games a win is possible over a team short of so many big names.
Half time: His legs have gone? The amount of ground the Skipper has covered in the first 45. Nothing less than total commitment!