West Brom vs Tottenham Hotspur Preview: Classic Encounter, Key Battles, Team News & More

Tottenham could lift themselves up to third in the Premier League with victory over West Brom at The Hawthorns on Saturday.

Mauricio Pochettino will be without Danny Rose and Harry Winks for the tie, but otherwise has a fully fit squad to pick from as they contest their final away game of the season.

Meanwhile, West Brom will be relegated to the Championship if they fail to win. Their relegation is almost inevitable, but anything less than a win this weekend would confirm their fate.

However, they have hit a good run of form over the last few weeks - under the stewardship of caretaker manager Darren Moore. It should make for an interesting game at The Hawthorns.

Classic Encounter

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The two sides played out an entertaining 3-3 draw on 12 April 2014.

West Brom fans will remember this game for all the wrong reasons, as their side let a 3-0 lead slip in disastrous fashion as the teams shared the points.

The Baggies were 3-0 up thanks to goals from Matej Vydra, Chris Brunt and Stephane Sessegnon - and looked to be in complete control of the tie.

However, Tottenham had other ideas. The north London side pulled a goal back as Jonas Olsson put the ball past Ben Foster and into his own net.

Further strikes from Harry Kane and a Christian Eriksen - the latter of which was a late, late equaliser - salvaged a point for Spurs.

Key Battle

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Christian Eriksen vs. Kieran Gibbs

Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen has played a crucial part for Spurs in recent games and could be key again if he gets the better of former Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs on Saturday.

Gibbs likes to get high up the pitch and join in attacks, which leaves Spurs vulnerable on the counter down that side. If Spurs can counter effectively, this could be a strategy that Spurs deploy in order to unlock the struggling Baggies defence.

Harry Kane vs. Craig Dawson

England striker Harry Kane has had another impressive season for Spurs, scoring 38 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions.

The 24-year-old is likely to start as a lone striker against West Brom, but will not be starved of support as creative midfielders Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and Son Heung-min will line up behind him.

His potent goal scoring form is bound to create problems for West Brom and experienced defender Craig Dawson looks set to be in for a tough afternoon.

Team News

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Spurs midfielder Mousa Dembélé will be assessed before the game after suffering a recent injury, however the midfielder should be okay to start at The Hawthorns.

Meanwhile, Danny Rose is close to a return but is not expected to be ready to start a match just yet due to poor fitness. Ben Davies is a more than capable alternative for Pochettino to rely on.

Gareth Barry (knee) and James Morrison (calf) are both unavailable for West Brom and are likely to miss the remainder of the season.

However, former Spurs midfielder Nacer Chadli is in with an outside chance of featuring against his former side.

West Brom predicted lineup: Foster; Nyom, Dawson, Hegazi, Gibbs; Phillips, Livermore, Brunt, McClean; Rodriguez; Rondon.

Tottenham predicted lineup: Lloris; Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Dembele; Eriksen, Dele, Son; Kane.

Prediction

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West Brom have West Brom will be relegated to the Championship if they fail to beat Tottenham at The Hawthorns on Saturday.Their relegation is almost inevitable, but anything less than a win this weekend would confirm their fate. 

Prediction: West Brom 0-1 Tottenham

Prediction: West Brom 0-1 Tottenham