“We’re not to be underestimated” Soucek sending Shocking messages to Tottenham for the next match
There’s no love lost between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, two London clubs whose long-standing rivalry adds extra spice to their Premier League encounters. While Tottenham’s fiercest rivals are traditionally their North London neighbours Arsenal, and West Ham share animosity with Millwall, meetings between Spurs and the Hammers consistently produce fiery clashes.
The bad blood between the two clubs was evident during their most recent encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Mohammed Kudus was sent off after raising his hands to both Micky van de Ven and Pape Sarr. The incident earned Kudus a five-match ban, further fuelling the tension as Spurs ran out 4-1 winners on the day.
Now, as the season unfolds, both clubs find themselves battling in similar territory on the Premier League table. Tottenham currently sit 13th, while West Ham climbed to 15th after a crucial 2-0 victory over Leicester City on Thursday night, leaving the two sides level on points.
Soucek Fires Tottenham Warning
West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek, who found the net against Leicester, addressed the club’s ambitions in a post-match interview with TNT Sports. The Czech international expressed confidence in West Ham’s ability to challenge the teams around them, including Tottenham and Manchester United.
Soucek was full of praise for new Hammers boss Graham Potter, highlighting the positive impact the former Brighton manager has already made at the club. Despite Potter’s short time in charge, Soucek believes the squad is showing renewed fight and togetherness.
“It’s tough to have this big impact in half of the season, but in these last two games we’ve shown good spirit and good team effort,” said Soucek, as transcribed by BBC Sport.
Reflecting on the win over Leicester, he added:
“I think that even this can help our manager believe in what we’re doing, and we are all so grateful for him. We know this season is tough, but we want to stay as high as possible. We know we can challenge some big teams.”
Soucek went on to underline the importance of the Tottenham rivalry, acknowledging how much the fixture means to West Ham supporters.
“Manchester United, Tottenham are around us. Even for West Ham fans, it’s a big derby with Tottenham, so we want to be better than them.”
Mark Noble Reflects on West Ham’s Spurs Obsession
West Ham legend Mark Noble, who is now the club’s director of football, has long been aware of the animosity between the two sides. Speaking to TNT Sports in 2024, Noble explained how the rivalry with Tottenham always felt more personal than the club’s matches against Arsenal.
“I don’t think Arsenal were a massive rival – they were winning titles and all that,” said Noble. “There was just something with Spurs that made it such a big rivalry.”
Noble, who spent his entire career at West Ham, recalled how deeply the fanbase’s desire to beat Spurs was ingrained in him from an early age.
“I was brought up as a West Ham fan and being around loads of West Ham fans myself, they always ingrained in me that ‘we’ve always got to beat Spurs’.”
One of Noble’s most memorable moments against Tottenham came in April 2019, when West Ham became the first team to beat Spurs at their new stadium, winning 1-0. However, Noble revealed that he refused to let the squad celebrate the victory with a photo, believing the club should aim for more than one-off triumphs over their rivals.
“I’ve come in and done the press, and the players wanted to take a photo together. I’m like, ‘Not a chance are we having a photo here’, because I believed that we should expect to beat Spurs.”
Noble’s mentality sums up the deep-rooted desire within West Ham to not only compete with Tottenham but to surpass them.
Battle for Bragging Rights
With just goal difference separating the two clubs, both Tottenham and West Ham will be desperate to finish the season above one another. The race for mid-table supremacy may not hold the glamour of a title race or European qualification, but for these two rivals, bragging rights mean everything.
Under Graham Potter, West Ham are hoping to build momentum and establish themselves as the dominant force between the two clubs. As Tomas Soucek made clear, the Hammers aren’t just looking to challenge Spurs – they want to be better than them.
The next meeting between the sides promises to be another heated affair, as both clubs fight not just for points, but for pride.
