West Ham player questions Tottenham’s style ahead of London derby

West Ham United’s Michail Antonio has fired a shot at Jose Mourinho and Tottenham Hotspur ahead of tonight’s London derby by insinuating that the North Londoners are not as much of a threat going forward as they were in the past.

The derby game is a crucial one for both sides, with Spurs fighting for Champions League qualification and the Hammers looking to secure their Premier League status for next season.

Mark Noble has already claimed that having no fans at the stadium will work to West Ham’s advantage in the derby (West Ham’s official website).

Antonio not only insisted that Spurs’ attacking threat has diminished but suggested that David Moyes men were capable of coping with Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

He told Sky Sports: “It’s a fresh start again for us, we go again and Tottenham are a team we normally get some good results against.

“One thing I noticed [from their draw against United] is that they are not that free-flowing, attacking team they used to be. They sat back quite a bit and played more on the counter.

“And the next thing is that as much as Harry Kane and Son are quality players – I feel like every team has got those quality players.

“So, we can’t really concentrate on them being back, or anything like that, we have just got to be able to deal with it on the day.”

Antonio became the first opposition player to score at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last year as West Ham overcame the Lilywhites 1-0 to become the first away side to pick up three points at Spurs’ new ground.

The winger is hopeful that his side can repeat the feat again later this evening.

The 30-year-old added: “We’ve played there [at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium] once and we’ve got a 100 per cent record, so hopefully we can keep that 100 per cent record going.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I believe Jose set us up the way he did against United to deny them space to play on the counter-attack, something that Ole Gunnar Soksjaer’s side have proven to be very good at.

I would be extremely surprised if we played with a low block against West Ham. I expect us to dominate possession and be on the front foot through the game.

Related Topics