What a defeat against West Ham could mean for Nuno Espirito Santo and his future at Tottenham
Tottenham are set to play their fourth London derby of the season on Sunday and it is a must-win fixture after their dismal run in derbies so far this campaign.
Spurs have so far played Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Arsenal in back to back games against their rivals and conceded three goals in each of them.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side put on a poor performance in the consecutive matches and the pressure began to mount on the Portuguese head coach.
Since those ties, the Lilywhites have beaten Aston Villa and Newcastle, leaving them fifth in the Premier League table but they lost their most recent Europa Conference League clash against Vitesse.
Tottenham went into the Palace game on the back of three league wins and they were in very high spirits, but that came crashing down with a poor performance, a poor result, a sending off and an injury blow.
They didn't have much time to dwell as they had an even bigger game in Chelsea to prepare for and although the first half was better, that didn't last long and it was another 3-0 defeat.
Possibly Spurs' biggest game of the season and Espirito Santo's first North London Derby at the club, the Lilywhites were expected to put up a fight but the display against Arsenal was far from that and the match lacked energy and passion from most of the Tottenham players.
After this clash the pressure was very much on the Portuguese head coach's shoulders but he has managed to turn it around with two wins in two against Villa and Newcastle.
Just as things were starting to improve, Espirito Santo decided to leave his regular XI in north London and take a whole new line-up to Holland on Thursday and their game against Vitesse ended in a 1-0 loss.
If Sunday's game against West Ham wasn't already big enough, it is now a must-win game for the Spurs boss to help stop fans questioning his leadership.
Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge highlighted the importance of the fixture at the London Stadium.
"Tottenham have been pretty poor in London derbies over the last couple of years. They need to get something there [London Stadium] because it will dip again if they lose," he said to GIVEMESPORT.
"Spurs need to give someone a bit of a hammering. You look at the league table, they’re fifth, but they’re minus three in goal difference," he added.
The Lilywhites have only scored nine goals so far this season and have a goal difference of minus three so not only a win but a few more goals would be welcomed by all.
After the defeat in Holland on Thursday, some Tottenham fans criticised the decision of the head coach and explained their concerns over his leadership in north London.
Espirito Santo is in a difficult position as he tries to juggle the amount of fixtures Spurs have as well as having to deal with injuries and players who are not in form.
Frank McAvennie has urged fans to not get too carried away as their recent victories haven't been against the strongest sides.
"Yes, the tide has turned in the league and things are looking rosy again. But what happens when they come up against a proper side?" he said to Football Insider.
"Beat West Ham, which won’t be easy, then maybe we can have that conversation. But what happens if West Ham win? The pressure on Nuno [Espirito Santo] goes up again."