Premier League preview: Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United
Tottenham are in action for the second time in 48 hours when they welcome West Ham for what’s sure to be another heated London derby at Wembley.
The last time these two sides met, a shock 3-2 comeback in the Carabao Cup wasn’t enough to save Slaven Bilic’s job despite a gallant fightback from two goals down.
The Croat’s successor, David Moyes, is yet to drag them out of the relegation battle entirely as they now sit 16th, a point above the drop zone, though he will be buoyed by Andy Carroll’s injury-time winner against West Brom.
Spurs are searching for their fourth win in a row thanks to victories over Burnley, Southampton, and Swansea City. However, in recent years, their record against the Hammers has been mixed; in their last 10 meetings, the north Londoners have won just four, drawing one and losing the other five.
This is a fixture that sums up the importance of the psychological element of the game; for Tottenham, this is always a big game, but for West Ham, it’s everything.
Team news
Harry Kane should return to the starting line-up after recovering from illness to make a substitute appearance in the 2-0 win over Swansea, setting up Dele Alli’s late clincher with an inch-perfect assist.
Victor Wanyama also impressed off the bench at Liberty Stadium and will be in contention to make his first start since August. Danny Rose, on the other hand, is suffering from a slight recurrence of the knee problem that kept him out for 10 months between January and October and it is unclear when he will definitely miss the two games this week.
Mark Noble overcame a tight hamstring to feature against the Baggies, but it remains to be seen whether Michail Antonio has recovered from a groin strain – he could be a late decision for Moyes.
Expected line-ups
Tottenham: Lloris, Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies, Dier, Wanyama, Eriksen, Alli, Son, Kane
West Ham: Adrian, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Zabaleta, Kouyaté, Noble, Hernandez, Arnautovic, Lanzini, Carroll
Did you know?
David Moyes hasn’t beaten Tottenham in his last five attempts, stretching across his spells at Sunderland, Manchester United, and Everton. In total, he’s won just seven of his 27 games against the Lilywhites.
Prediction:
West Ham will undoubtedly raise their game for this one, though like many Premier League fxitures this week, it could be hampered by the hectic schedules of both sides.
Having lost their last two derbies with the men in Claret and Blue, Mauricio Pochettino will be wary of the threat of Manuel Lanzini in particular, as his compatriot scored twice against them last season, including the goal that effectively ended their title hopes at the London Stadium.
Before Kane’s run was interrupted, he had scored eight goals in five games and given West Ham’s poor defensive record this term – they’ve conceded almost twice the goals Spurs have – the hosts’ potent attack should get the better of them. That said, they have pulled off surprising results under Moyes with the 1-0 win over Chelsea and a goalless draw with Arsenal, so their travelling supporters will be confident of pulling off another upset.
This will be a major test of Tottenham’s top four credentials, but they’re still favourites. Tottenham 2-1 West Ham
