Chelsea boss tells West Ham exactly what they want to hear about Spurs clash

But even if the Hammers lose, Tottenham’s trip to Chelsea is crucial and will decide whether the relegation battle goes to the final game.

West Ham will be encouraged by the fact Spurs have a dismal record at Stamford Bridge.

West Ham get major double Chelsea boost ahead of Spurs

Chelsea fans are also desperate for their team to push Tottenham closer to the drop.

If Tottenham lose against the Blues, it will mean a straight shootout on the final day between them and the Hammers to stay in the Premier League, even if Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are beaten by Newcastle.

Between 1-10, how would you rate West Ham’s survival chances if they beat Newcastle? 😬

West Ham play Leeds at home while Spurs welcome former Hammers boss David Moyes and his European-chasing Everton side.

There have been concerns in east London that Chelsea may not be as motivated as they would normally be against Spurs because their hopes of European qualification have faded and they have just lost the FA Cup final to Man City.

But now Chelsea’s interim boss Calum McFarlane has told West Ham exactly what they want to hear about the Spurs clash.

In a spiky exchange with reporters after the Blues lost the FA Cup final, McFarlane insists he is fully focused on preparing his team for the game against Tottenham because it is “absolutely massive” for the club.

McFarlane also had reassuring words for Hammers fans worried about Chelsea’s poor form, saying his team went toe-to-toe with one of the world’s best sides.

Spurs clash ‘massive’ for Chelsea, McFarlane reassures West Ham

“Yeah it’s hard at this moment in time to think like that (it was an encouraging performance) because of the recent form and losing a cup final but I felt we went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the world and I thought there was very little between the sides,” McFarlane said in his post match press conference.

“We know what this team’s capable of, they need to produce that on a more consistent basis and they’ve shown that this year that when they’re at their best they’re a very difficult side to play against.

Imagine you’re Nuno – what changes are you making ahead of Newcastle? 💭

Back four? Start Wilson? What would you do? 🤔

“You’re asking an interim coach what the implications for the club are going to be (of not qualifying for Europe), I’m not privy to that information, my job is to prepare the team for games and training which I’ll be doing on Tuesday for Spurs which is a massive game for this club.”

It is clear West Ham will have no worries that Chelsea and McFarlane might do an Aston Villa and roll over for Tottenham.

In a further boost for West Ham, Chelsea are set to announce that Xabi Alonso will be taking over as the club’s new manager.

That should ensure Chelsea’s players are given a fresh motivation ahead of the game against Tottenham as they look to impress the incoming boss.

Ironically, Alonso was heavily linked with West Ham before his meteoric rise with Bayer Leverkusen having been appointed during Tim Steidten’s stint as sporting director at the German club.