Lanzini forged a close bond with Lamela when the two Argentine stars played together at River Plate back in Buenos Aires.
The Hammers midfielder will never forget the successful spell he had at the Argentine Club and the successful relationship he had with Lamela both on and off the pitch.
But Lanzini says that will all be put to one side when the two teams meet in north London this weekend and knows the importance of helping West Ham get back on the winning trail.
Lanzini said: “It is always great to see familiar faces. I played with Erik at River Plate and we developed a very good friendship. I think he is a very good player.
“But I have to focus on West Ham and make sure we do everything to win the game.
“I hope to earn the bragging rights on Saturday!”
It is always great to see familiar faces. I played with Erik at River Plate and we developed a very good friendship.
Manuel Lanzini
After suffering a 4-1 defeat at White Hart Lane last season, Lanzini says the players are determined to make amends on Saturday and help get their season back on track.
The Hammers looked to be back to their best when they recently went on a four match unbeaten run, but have only managed to take one point from the last two games and sit just above the bottom three.
But Lanzini has no doubts there is enough quality in the squad to challenge in the top half of the table and feels they can be a match for any team.
Lanzini added: “We always want to play well in the derbies we play in and if we are focused and work hard, I believe we can get a good result.
“Every game is very important for us and very difficult, especially the ones we have coming up.
“But I really believe in the group of players we have.”
Lanzini is well aware of the tough schedule his side face in the next few weeks, but insists they are not looking past the Tottenham game and are focusing all their efforts on making sure they come away with a positive result.
“We have to take it game-by-game. The next one is Tottenham on Saturday and only after that we start to focus on the next one.
“The most important thing for us is to do well in the next game.”