Tottenham vs West Ham: Classic Encounter, Recent Form, Team News & More

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90 Min
Publish date:
Jan 3, 2018

Tottenham Hotspur play host to struggling West Ham at Wembley on Thursday night, with both sides facing their second fixture in 48 hours.

The annual festive fixture pile up has caused chaos across the Premier League, with many teams rotating their squad as they attempt to keep key players fresh.

Mauricio Pochettino's side are in good recent form, with Spurs having picked up consecutive key victories over Burnley, Southampton and Swansea, scoring an impressive ten goals in the process.

West Ham have enjoyed a small resurgence under David Moyes, claiming 11 points in their last six games, including a last-gasp 2-1 victory over West Brom on Tuesday night.

Andy Carroll's brace has lifted the Hammers out of the relegation zone, and the visitors confidence will be high after coming back from a goal behind to win for the first time this season.

The hosts will be looking to continue their push towards the fourth Champions League qualifying spot with victory, though they do have an indifferent record against David Moyes' men in recent times.

Spurs have won only four times of the last ten meetings in all competitions, and despite winning at the London Stadium in August, they surrendered a two-goal lead to crash out of the Carabao Cup to the Hammers back in October.

Classic Encounter

These two sides have served up a treat for supporters on numerous occasions, though many of those encounters happened at Upton Park.

One rousing meeting between the two at White Hart Lane was back in September 2002, where Tottenham netted a late winner to secure an exhillerating 3-2 win over the Hammers.

After a goalless first half, the game came to life just after the hour mark. First, Wales midfielder Simon Davies slotted under then England No.1 David James to give Spurs the lead, before Freddie Kanoute quickly levelled for the visitors.

Teddy Sheringham's penalty restored Spurs' lead, before they were pegged back once more by Trevor Sinclair with just over ten minutes remaining; the England winger firing past Kasey Keller after good work from Hammers legend Paolo Di Canio.

With both sides pushing for a winner, the decisive moment in the game arrived with just two minutes left as Anthony Gardner fired through the legs of Gary Breen to beat James, and break Hammers hearts.

Form

The Premier League table may suggest that Tottenham have been under-performing this season, with Mauricio Pochettino's side currently occupying 5th place.

Spurs finished as runners-up last season whilst Chelsea clinched the Premier League crown, but have suffered more defeats already this term than they did in the entirety of last season.

They have found form of late though, winning five out of the seven league games played since the start of December.

The Hammers have been up and down this season, struggling to find consistency and leaking goals at vital times. As a result, they find themselves firmly embroiled in a relegation battle that looks likely to be contested by at least eight teams.

With things tightening up at the bottom, David Moyes' side have shown vast improvements in their performances and will come into this fixture riding high after Andy Carroll's last gasp winner on Tuesday night.

Team News

Both managers are expected to make changes after playing on Tuesday night.

Mauricio Pochettino is likely to recall Harry Kane after he dropped to the bench for the trip to Swansea. The England striker, who scored a record 39 Premier League goals in 2017, came on during the second half after suffering with illness over the festive period, and could replace Fernando Llorente.

Serge Aurier, Victor Wanyama, Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks are all waiting in the wings having been on the bench at the Liberty Stadium.

David Moyes may be without defender Aaron Cresswell, after he limped off late on against West Brom. Mark Noble and Declan Rice are pushing for starts, but Michail Antonio and Diafra Sakho are likely to miss out through injury.

Sam Byram, Jose Fonte and Edimilson Fernandes are long-term casualties.

Potential Tottenham Lineup: Lloris, Aurier, Dier, Vertonghen, Davies, Wanyama, Sissoko, Winks, Alli, Eriksen, Kane

Potential West Ham Lineup: Adrian, Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Rice, Masuaku, Noble, Kouyate, Arnautovic, Lanzini, Carroll

Prediction

The hosts have overcome their early troubles at Wembley, crushing Southampton 5-2 last time out. Their goalscoring woes have been firmly put to bed, with 21 goals now scored by Spurs in their ten home games played.

The Hammers have only one win on the road this season, though that did come in the last couple of weeks against struggling Stoke. The visitors find it hard to keep things tight on the road, and 24 goals conceded have contributed to their six away defeats this campaign.

With Champions League aspirations a real focal point for Mauricio Pochettino's side, a slip up here could be costly. The Hammers won here though back in October, overturning a 2-0 deficit with three second half goals to triumph. Confidence will be high after this, and Tuesday night's dramatic winner, the visitors may steal a point against the odds.

Prediction: Tottenham 1-1 West Ham