SM
Real Madrid vs AC Milan: 16 hrs 1 min
Upcoming predictions and previews
WB
Premier League
Apr 12, 2014 at 3.07pm UK
 
SL

3-3

Vydra (1'), Brunt (4'), Sessegnon (31')
FT(HT: 3-1)
Olsson (34' og.), Kane (70'), Eriksen (90')

Preview: West Bromwich Albion vs. Tottenham Hotspur

:Headline: Preview: West Bromwich Albion vs. Tottenham Hotspur: ID:149147: from db_amp
Sports Mole previews Saturday's Premier League meeting between relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion and Tottenham Hotspur at The Hawthorns.

With survival very much in their own hands, West Bromwich Albion will go into Saturday's match against Tottenham Hotspur looking to take another big step towards Premier League safety.

Their victory over Norwich City last weekend was a timely boost for the club, lifting them five points clear of the bottom three, while also making the Canaries more vulnerable to the drop than themselves.

In practice, the Baggies' far superior goal difference gives them an extra point in the battle against the drop, while the game in hand that they have over the three teams directly below them in the table could also prove to be important.

With Fulham taking on Norwich in a huge relegation showdown at Craven Cottage, Saturday represents a big chance for Pepe Mel to drag his side even further clear of the mire and potentially as high as 13th in the table.

Just one defeat in their last four matches is a steady enough flow of points to get West Brom on the road to safety, but with away games against Manchester City and Arsenal still to come this season, it is at The Hawthorns where they will look to seal their Premier League status.

Therein lies a potential problem, however, as the Baggies have only won one of their last 12 matches in front of their own fans, and that came all the way back on New Year's Day. Indeed, only two teams have amassed fewer points at home than West Brom this season.

Chris Brunt is still out for the hosts through injury, while there are doubts over the fitness of Claudio Yacob, Zoltan Gera, Billy Jones, Graham Dorrans and James Morrison, meaning that Mel could opt for an unchanged side.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are need of three points themselves as they continue to hang on to prospect of a top five spot this season. Monday's 5-1 drubbing of Sunderland put them within four points of in-form Everton, while they only trail North London rivals Arsenal by five points.

Their run-in is relatively kind too, with Stoke City representing the only side left for Spurs to play in the top half. That could give them a chance to improve their poor goal difference, which effectively adds another point to the gap between themselves and the European places as things stand.

If they are to stand any chance of a late push, however, they will need to significantly improve their away form, which has seen them go five matches without a win in all competitions, failing to score in four of those.

With speculation continuing to swirl around the manager's job at White Hart Lane, Tim Sherwood may feel that he has a point to prove on Saturday and could name an attacking lineup with two up front once again.

However, he will still be without Erik Lamela, Jan Vertonghen, Etienne Capoue and Roberto Soldado through injury, while the match may also come too soon for Kyle Walker.

Recent form

West Brom: DLWLDW

Tottenham: LLDWLW

Possible starting lineups

West Brom: Foster; Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Amalfitano, Morrison, Mulumbu, Dorrans; Sessegnon; Vydra

Tottenham: Lloris; Naughton, Chiriches, Kaboul, Rose; Paulinho, Bentaleb, Lennon, Eriksen; Kane, Adebayor

Sports Mole says: 1-2


amp_article__149147 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2014-04-11 09:01:00:
html db last update - 2014-04-11 09:01:00 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
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.



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