SM
Club Brugge vs. Aston Villa: 17 hrs 42 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
SL
Premier League
Nov 22, 2015 at 4pm UK
 
WH

4-1

Kane (23', 50'), Alderweireld (33'), Walker (83')
FT(HT: 2-0)
Lanzini (87')

Preview: Tottenham Hotspur vs. West Ham United

:Headline: Preview: Tottenham Hotspur vs. West Ham United: ID:258249: from db_amp
Sports Mole checks on both teams ahead of Sunday's London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.

Two London rivals level on points will meet on Sunday when Tottenham Hotspur host West Ham United at White Hart Lane.

Both teams are just three points outside the Champions League places heading into the weekend and they will be looking to keep the pressure on the top four.


Spurs

Mauricio Pochettino and his army of supporters probably could not have asked for much more at this stage of the season as Spurs look to deliver even more evidence that they are strong enough to qualify for the Champions League this season.

Steady progress was made in Pochettino's first year in charge of the club, but his young side look to have reached the next level with their defensive resiliency as the players continue to improve under his high intensity pressing methods.

Many expected the club to stand still for at least another year, but the performances of Dele Alli and Eric Dier, in particular, have demonstrated that the immediate future is bright as Spurs look to prove that they can compete with the biggest sides in the country.

Perhaps the biggest indication of progress was the disappointment which arrived following the 1-1 draw with North London rivals Arsenal before the international break as Spurs conceded an equaliser to Kieran Gibbs after controlling the game in the first half.

The picture would have looked even better with a win at the Emirates Stadium, but Pochettino's side are now 11 games unbeaten in the Premier League and sit just five points behind leaders Manchester City.

Despite not being in action this week, the good news kept coming for the club as Alli, Dier and Harry Kane all starred for England in the win over France and confidence could not be much higher heading into their latest test.

It is clear to see that the optimism and expectancy is arriving, and with Spurs looking much stronger than in recent years, another positive result on Sunday will convince many that this side are good enough to clinch a place in the top four.

Recent form: WDDWWD
Recent form (all competitions): DLWWWD


West Ham

Despite currently sitting in a very healthy fifth position in the table, Slaven Bilic may not have been too disappointed to see the international break arrive this month.

West Ham's form has been one of the stories of the season so far, with Bilic immediately encouraging exciting counter-attacking football from his players in the early stages of his reign.

Early-season form can often be deceptive, but the squad in East London looks stronger than ever before and the signs suggest that the club are ready to be in the top six for most of the campaign.

Inevitable frustrating results did arrive before the break as the Hammers slipped to a 2-0 defeat to Watford before playing out a draw with Everton at Upton Park, but the biggest positive for the current side is that most people will be expecting a response at the weekend.

Bilic's side have already beaten Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City away from home this season, and with the pressure on Spurs to control the game from the first whistle, West Ham should relish the challenge of hitting the hosts on the break.

However, they must now prepare for life without Dimitri Payet, who looks set to miss three months with an ankle injury after making such an impressive start to his career in England.

As injuries begin to play an important role, the true strength of this squad will be tested and current tests will not come much tougher than a trip to White Hart Lane.

Recent form: DDWWLD


Team News

Spurs will be forced into at least one change this weekend as Erik Lamela prepares to watch from the stands after a yellow card against Arsenal earned him a one-game suspension.

His absence should pave the way for Son Heung-min to start for the first time in almost two months, but Nabil Bentaleb is unlikely to be ready to return after he picked up a knock on international duty with Algeria.

As well as being without the influential Payet, Bilic confirmed on Friday that Enner Valencia was facing another four weeks on the sidelines with an ankle problem.

Diafra Sakho, Pedro Obiang and Alex Song should all be available for the visitors as West Ham look set to welcome key players back into the squad.

Spurs possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Walker, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Davies; Dier, Alli; Son, Dembele, Eriksen; Kane

West Ham possible starting lineup:
Adrian; Jenkinson, Tomkins, Reid, Cresswell; Kouyate, Noble; Moses, Lanzini, Antonio; Carroll


Head To Head

West Ham supporters will have fond memories of their recent meetings with Spurs after losing just one of the last five matches against the club's London rivals.

However, the recent statistics suggest that the Hammers should be wary of Pochettino's side striking late, with three of Tottenham's last five goals against them coming in the 90th minute or later.

Spurs have not beaten West Ham at home since Jermain Defoe scored twice in a 3-1 victory in November 2012.


We say: Spurs 2-0 West Ham

The pressure is on West Ham's other creative players, including Manuel Lanzini and Victor Moses, to step up in the absence of Payet. Bilic's side will be keen to hit the hosts on the break, but with Spurs looking impressive at the back this season, a home win looks a strong possibility.



amp_article__258249 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2015-11-20 18:59:05:
html db last update - 2015-11-20 18:59:05 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Read more!
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .