Nottingham Forest vs West Ham set to make Premier League history with unique managerial record

IT is the Premier League’s archetypal Glove Affair for 31 YEARS.

Uniquely among the managerial fraternity, some Julen Lopetegui and Nuno Espirito Santo were goalkeepers successful their playing careers earlier becoming bosses.

The past clip 2 stoppers faced each different successful opposing dugouts successful the apical formation was connected Friday, April 9, 1993.

Tottenham crushed Norwich 5-1 astatine White Hart Lane — ex-Colchester keeper Mike Walker was manager of the Canaries, portion erstwhile England No 1 Ray Clemence was successful caretaker complaint of Spurs on with Doug Livermore.

However, Friday's clash astatine the City Ground, arsenic astonishment package  Nottingham Forest look under-performing West Ham, represents the FIRST clip 2 imperishable chiefs who were erstwhile goalies going caput to head.

Any proposition you person to beryllium brainsick to go a keeper successful the archetypal spot has been changeable down by the Hammers manager.

Well-travelled Spaniard Lopetegui laughed: “This is simply a large lie! A precise large lie.

“Normally the astir sensible radical successful the dressing room are the goalkeepers. Believe me.

“You tin accidental they are antithetic but not crazy.”

There is an eight-year property spread betwixt Lopetegui, 58, and Nuno, 50, but they are some ex-Porto managers and they crossed paths earlier this period successful LaLiga combat.

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Lopetegui, who besides coached astatine Real Madrid and Sevilla, said: “I’m a small spot older than him.

“Yes, I retrieve him arsenic a keeper. I played against him arsenic a coach, too. But we were ne'er keeper connected keeper. I didn’t play against him arsenic a keeper.

“Who was the amended goalkeeper? Ha, I forgot my time. I don’t retrieve a lot. Maybe me. I don’t know.”

Goalkeepers is simply a cardinal taxable of West Ham’s enactment approach, arsenic matchday 10 represents their archetypal league sojourn extracurricular of London.

Frenchman Alphonse Areola was dropped aft the 4-1 decision astatine Spurs adjacent though helium had started successful the opening 8 league ties.

Pole Lukasz Fabianski was fixed the work for the location lucifer with Manchester United past Sunday and pulled disconnected respective large saves to assistance the Hammers triumph 2-1 — a effect that saw the Old Trafford axing of Erik 10 Hag.

Asked if helium empathised with Areola’s disappointment, Lopetegui said: “I was a goalkeeper a agelong clip ago. But I understand.

“I tin alteration different positions. I repeat, you don’t alteration 1 player, it’s not astir reasoning that thing is incorrect with him.

“It’s reasoning that possibly you’re going to beryllium affirmative with this change.

“Sometimes it’s going to hap oregon not. In football, we don’t person a crystal ball. But we effort to instrumentality the determination that we deliberation volition ever assistance the team.

“Did I get dropped? A lot! In my opinion, to my coaches, I was right! It’s similar this.

“We spot Alphonse a lot. He did precise good successful this squad before. But we decided that successful this match, Lukasz was much acceptable and possibly it was bully to enactment him successful for antithetic reasons.

“All of them person to beryllium acceptable to play. It’s up to america to determine who is going to beryllium successful oregon not.

“It’s not due to the fact that we don’t spot them. It’s good, this benignant of wrong competition, to beryllium much competitive.”