Matthew Etherington has warned Stoke City pals they cannot afford to slip up against Tottenham.
Etherington, who left Tottenham for West Ham seven years ago, has told his former club to expect a City side "angry" over their opening-day defeat by Wolves.
He said: "We've another tough match against Chelsea coming up so it really is a baptism of fire. There's a real fear we could go three games without a point and then you worry about relegation.
"If you take your foot off the gas for one minute you're in trouble.
"Training has been very sharp and tackles are flying in because the players are angry after Saturday. You don't get that at many clubs.
"The lads are still hurting and I'm sure we'll put in a good performance."
