Defender Maximilian Kilman says West Ham United are ready for Saturday’s London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, and understands it is a game that carries added significance.
The Hammers get back underway in the Premier League at London Stadium in the Saturday evening kick-off, looking to register back-to-back wins for the first time this season, and boost their current 16th-place standing.
After a difficult start to the campaign, the 28-year-old started at centre-back in a four-man defence as Graham Potter’s side earned a 3-0 victory at Nottingham Forest prior to the September international break.
And Kilman stressed the magnitude of the Spurs fixture to the Claret and Blue faithful, and is in no doubt that the fans will expect a performance befitting the occasion in east London, and says he and his team-mates will show the grit and determination required to come out on top on derby day.
“I feel good, I feel excited,” said Kilman. “Obviously, we're coming back after a good result in the last game and just had the international break. We're all ready for this game coming up.
“I think when there's a rivalry, you always want to do better, you want to beat your rivals, and I think there's just that normal feeling where everyone has a bit more hunger because of the fear of not winning, and obviously you want to do well.
“We as players all know the importance of this game [to the West Ham fans] and how we need to be up for it and ready and get our first home win of the season.
“It's great when the fans give us a boost but, as players, we know regardless we need to do our job, and we need to put in a performance for them to give them something to cheer about.
“Of course, regardless if you're playing in the top of the league or in the bottom, you need to try to win every game. I think we all have that kind of mentality, and we've got a good enough squad that can perform in every game.
“To get back-to-back wins in the Premier League with how difficult this league is would be great, especially against Tottenham, but regardless of the opponent, we need to put in a good performance and give our best.
“Of course it's tough [to have the international break after a win]. We've come off the back of a good result against Nottingham Forest and want to carry on the momentum, and the international break does break it up, but it's something we as players have got to adapt to and deal with.”
The Irons have not lost to their north London rivals at London Stadium in the Premier League since 2019.
Regardless of that, Kilman reckons it will be a challenging encounter with Thomas Frank’s side, who have won two of their first three matches, and says he will ensure his new team-mates are well equipped to deal with the threat of former Hammer Mohammed Kudus.
Kilman added: “I think they're definitely a tougher side to break down. I think defensively they've really improved, and, of course, they have strengthened their squad as well from last season, so I think they're going to be a top team.
“We have to back ourselves, and we've got a really good group as well, so I think it's going to be a really good game, and hopefully we come out on top. I think now we're in a really, really good place, and we just need to keep improving.
“On his day, he (Kudus) is a brilliant player, so we know it's going to be a tough, tough challenge, but we have to be ready. He's a rival now, and he's an opponent, and we want to stop him.
"We've got some new full-backs as well who are obviously going to be up against him in Malick [Diouf] and Kyle [Walker-Peters], and we will make sure to tell them a few little tips about his strengths.
"We've had a few new boys come into a new league for the first time, and I think he and the others have adjusted pretty well.
“They deserve credit as well, because coming into a new league is not easy, but they've managed themselves really well, and they're really helping us a lot.”
