If you read various internet messageboards before this evening's efficient victory at Upton Park you would have been forgiven for thinking that one set of fans were taking the match rather more seriously than the other. For emanating from the legions of West Ham supporters on sites such as Knees Up Mother Brown and on the BBC 606 forums were tales of sleepless nights, uncontrollable nerves and swarms of butterfly filled stomachs. It was as if the Irons faithful were on their way to Wembley or preparing for the biggest match of their season.
It may sound derogatory but it really does appear that the visit of Tottenham, their London neighbours, is - effectively - West Ham's cup final. I appreciate that any London derby is a big match but it seems there is, at least from one perspective, an immense rivalry between the two sides. For Hammers fans this isn't just another league game, it's like Barcelona against Real Madrid, Celtic against Rangers, or even Tottenham against Arsenal. For Spurs fans, OK it's a London derby and we want to win but their won't have been many of the Tottenham faithful losing any sleep over the thought of beating Gianfranco Zola's boys this evening.
So when the Bobby Moore stand emptied as Jermaine Jenas and co, secure in victory, passed it around their exasperated looking rivals, it dawned on me. We hadn't just secured a more points or beaten a lacklustre West Ham team, devoid of any attacking threat. No, we'd come to the Boleyn Ground and beat West Ham in their cup final. It was only then that I realised why the stands emptied so quickly after Jamie O'Hara hit a rasping drive past Robert Green.
Though the match was hotly contested on the field, there is no genuine rivalry off it, except in the heads of 30'000 fans who packed Upton Park hoping to to see their side emerge to lift the ... oh that's right, there is no trophy for this game. Sure Spurs want to win and it's nice to beat other London clubs, but give me the passion of a clash against bitter rivals Arsenal, or even Chelsea, and I might lose some sleep.
The only reason our fans will saviour this result a little more sweetly than say beating Manchester City or Liverpool, is because it's so satisfying to see West Ham fans distraught over what is, to us, just another game of football. Not that the players showed anything less than 100 per cent commitment during a performance that, to be fair, wouldn't have looked out of place in a cup final.
West Ham had spells of the game where they looked half decent, notably the first 15 minutes of each half, but crucially lacked any cutting edge going forward. Ledley King, who had his best game for the club since the 2-1 victory against Chelsea two seasons ago, dealt with everything West Ham threw at him, and even chipped in with a goal. His compadres Vedran Corluka and Jonathan Woodgate weren't half bad either.
In midfield Didier Zokora hassled and haranged relentlessly during a seemingly tireless performance, and Aaron Lennon - so impressive in recent weeks - was a constant thorn in West Ham's side. Further forward Luka Modric grew in stature to the point that he bossed the tempo of the second half and left the field perhaps disappointed not to get on the score sheet.
It wasn't all perfect. There's still a lot more to come from David Bentley and Roman Pavlyuchenko, the latter not seemingly suited to playing up front on his own but a clean sheet and a victory from a match that looked a tricky fixture on paper is a very positive way to begin the Christmas period.
Graciously, the Tottenham players did not stay to collect their winners medals or lift the famous... Boleyn trophy?! That said, a certain Heurelho Gomes might have appreciated a memento from what was an impressive individual display. The previously lambasted Brazilian keeper was solid throughout and prevented West Ham from grabbing what would have been an undeserved point late on with some very smart saves. Hopefully he, along with the rest of the squad, will take this new found confidence into next weeks clash against Manchester United.
As for West Ham, well there's always the FA Cup, right?