Charlie Nicholas says Manuel Pellegrini could be sacked after Tottenham visit

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Pundit Charlie Nicholas says that a heavy West Ham defeat against local rivals Tottenham tomorrow could see Manuel Pellegrini sacked as manager.

As per Sky Sports, Nicholas feels that the former Manchester City boss is under real pressure at the London Stadium ahead of the visit of Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham.

He said: “Manuel Pellegrini is under serious pressure and could be sacked with a heavy defeat. One manager is trying to save himself, while the other manager – Jose Mourinho – is trying to assert his authority on a side. I expect a reaction from Tottenham. There will be fire in the belly and it will be feisty.”

Nicholas did not expect the Hammers to be thrashed, but predicted a 2-1 Tottenham win, adding: “[Mourinho] won’t have any time to do it going into the weekend so they will have to batten down the hatches and get on with it.”

TBR’s View – Mourinho not generally a manager to administer thrashings and Tottenham’s away form is awful

Just getting an away win would be a great result for Tottenham. They haven’t had one since January in the Premier League.

So as Nicholas predicts, the chances of a heavy Tottenham victory aren’t huge at all. Obviously, losing to West Ham’s bitter rivals would do Pellegrini’s position no good at all, especially as the Hammers usually raise their game against Spurs.

Before Mourinho’s appointment, Pellegrini might have been eyeing this match as a real opportunity to make a statement.

Spurs should be tougher to break down now, with their players working harder to impress a new boss, but Pellegrini’s Hammers battered Mourinho’s Manchester United 3-1 last season, so the Chilean is more than capable of getting the better of the Portuguese.