West Brom v Spurs - Jose's preview

Jose Mourinho believes “focus and ambition” will be key to ending our Hawthorns hoodoo.

We haven’t managed to claim maximum points away to West Bromwich Albion since January, 2015, with back-to-back 1-1 draws followed by a 1-0 defeat towards the end of 2017/18 – the last campaign before the Baggies went down – endured in our last three trips to the West Midlands outfit.

Now back in the top flight after a two-year stay in the Championship, Slaven Bilic’s men are languishing in the drop zone, without a win from their opening seven games.

Jose is wary of a team that “needs points”, but is confident that, with the right approach, we can emerge victorious when we return to The Hawthorns on Sunday lunchtime (12 noon UK).

“You know, I don’t believe in tradition at all, but in the last three times Tottenham played there, they couldn’t win for some reason,” he said, following Thursday night’s 3-1 Europa League win against Ludogorets in Bulgaria.

“The reason is it’s always difficult there, so we have to go with great focus, with ambition and with respect for a strong opponent that needs points.

“Now we try to rest the best we can because Saturday we are on the move again to play Sunday in the early kick-off.”

Victory against the Baggies, who include Branislav Ivanovic – the veteran defender who played for Jose at Chelsea – among their ranks, would make it three consecutive Premier League wins for us for the first time this season.

Asked if he could feel us building momentum, Jose said: “I don’t know, I cannot say that. I can just say that it’s a match that we have to try to win, get maximum points and go to the national team period with a positive feeling.”