West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has spoken highly of Friday opponents, claiming Tottenham are the best team in the Premier League, as per the Evening Standard.
Having beaten Arsenal in the last ever North London derby at White Hart Lane, Tottenham are able to cut the gap at the top of the Premier League table to just one point with a win at the London Stadium – in what would be their 10th consecutive victory in the league.
Having drawn with Stoke City 0-0 at the weekend West Ham are currently on an unbeaten streak of their own, although not as impressive, the Hammers have now gone four games without defeat, but drawn their last three.
West Ham have also managed to keep three clean sheets in their last four games, but in Tottenham, they face a side who Bilic regards to be the toughest opponents in the division.
In the reverse fixture at the lane this season it took two very late Harry Kane goals for Tottenham to finally secure victory over their London rivals, and Bilic will be hoping for more of the same fight this time round albeit with a different score line.
“That game [against Tottenham] is always big, it’s a derby, and it can’t be just an ordinary game. Then, if you add to that that it’s Friday night and they need points to stay in the race for the Premier League, and we need points to climb or to make us safe, it makes it even bigger.
“We’re going to approach it in a very positive way, four games unbeaten, with three clean sheets in the last four games and knowing we are playing, for me, against the best team in the league.
“Hopefully I’m going to enjoy it, but it’s going to be a very nervous game. We will have to be on top of our game, defending even better than we did at Stoke, and taking our chances and scoring the goals. But we did it last year, beating them at home when they were also on fire and everything.”
