Pablo Zabaleta insists manager Manuel Pellegrini is attempting to instil real personality into the Hammers so they perform to their peak capacity against any team, anywhere!

Zaba knows the boss better than most after their time together at Manchester City and explains there will be no sitting back against Spurs or any other team.

Writing in the official match day programme he said: “First, you need personality to play in the same way, whether you are at home or away, against any opponent.

“Just because we are playing against a top side, we will not sit back and defend, or if we’re playing away, we try to score goals only on the counter attack.

“The manager is trying to get us to play the same way every single game and for this you need personality from the players and the desire, determination and belief to go into every single game and play the way they want to play.”

The No5 has not been surprised at countryman and former Espanyol team-mate Mauricio Pochettina’s impact on the Spurs team but said: “It’s a massive game.

“We are playing at home and we cannot have two defeats in a row, so this is a good opportunity for us to react and perform well like we did in the last three games at home in league and cup.

“We need to get back to our best and get the three points.”