Nayef Aguerd knows just how much it means to the Claret and Blue Army when West Ham United play Tottenham Hotspur.
The Hammers will travel to Spurs on Thursday evening for the second of three London derbies in the space of a week, and the Moroccan knows to anticipate a tough test against a Tottenham team that has impressed so far this campaign.
The centre-back knows every game in the Premier League is tough, and the Irons got a taste of what Spurs under new manger Ange Postecoglou could offer in pre-season when the two teams met on the Unmissable Football tour in Perth, Australia.
“It’s a derby and we know, when we play Tottenham, it is very important for the Club and the fans too,” Aguerd told whufc.com. “We will absolutely give our best. It will be a tough game but that’s the same with every game in the Premier League. Honestly, every match is so tough. Since I’ve been with West Ham, I have never played an easy Premier League game.
“We played them in pre-season but, of course, that wasn’t a complete team. The internationals, like myself, had a bit longer off so we had just come back to Rush Green when that match was played. We are looking forward to the game though and we will give our best.”
Aguerd was part of the Irons squad that tasted defeat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last season, and had previously faced Spurs with previous club Rennes in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The 27-year-old is preparing for a completely different test against this current incarnation of Tottenham though. Aguerd knows it will be a new challenge; one he is ready and excited for.
“Every match has its own scenarios,” he explained. “Spurs are not the same team as they were last year. Last season, they had Antonio Conte in charge, whereas now they have their new manager and they are playing in a difficult way. It’s a new philosophy and it’s the first time we will really play them with that philosophy, after the pre-season game.
“It’s not the same this year. I understand that it’s the same Club but, for us, in a professional context, it’s a different challenge to prepare for. We’ve been working for a few days to prepare for this opponent and we’ve seen the videos and done the analysis. It will be, for sure, a hard game.”
