Tottenham Hotpur take on West Ham United at home at White Hart Lane this Sunday in the Premier League.
Visitors West Ham are on equal points with Tottenham – not what many would have predicted before the beginning of the season. The Hammers have been on an incredible run, including a win against current Premier League champions Chelsea, though that has not been difficult this season.
Last week it was revealed that the two London-based clubs received £40,000 and £50,000 fines from the Football Association for failing to control their players. Jose Mourinho was sent to the stands during the game, received a £40,000 fine and was banned from the stadium for Chelsea’s next match. However, all the drama will be pushed to the back of West Ham’s mind as they look to beat their closest table rivals.
England played an emotional game against France on Tuesday night in the wake of the Paris attacks, with several Tottenham players part of the game.
Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Eric Dier were notables among the England starting lineup, with Hugo Lloris playing in goal for the French side. Given the traumatic events the French team went through last Friday, Lloris and his mental state could be given closer attention during this game.
Spurs will want to get back to winning ways after the 1-1 draw with Arsenal before the international break in another London Derby. And after Spurs youngster Alli shone for England during the week, he will look to further his brilliant form. If West Ham defeat Spurs they will leapfrog them in the table, leaving the Lilywhites in sixth with some work to do.
Key Battle – The battle of the attacking-midfielders
Key men Moussa Dembele and Christian Eriksen will face Hammers midfielder Victor Moses, who will not be joined by Dimitri Payet after he suffered an injury and narrowly avoided surgery against Everton earlier this month. Moses and Payet’s replacement will have a tough time keeping them from aiding Kane. Eriksen has been involved in much of the build-up play in recent games, and has even scored himself.
Team News
The two teams will be relatively unchanged due to their current performances in the league. A notable absentee for West Ham will be midfield maestro Payet, who was sidelined after a tangle with James McCarthy against Everton, leaving a hole in the middle.
Tottenham Hotspur Expected XI (4-2-3-1): Lloris (GK); Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Alli, Dier; Eriksen, Dembele, Son; Kane.
Tottenham’s Nabil Bentaleb recently returned from injury to play for his country Algeria, but left the pitch after 35 minutes with an injury to his left foot. The Spurs man was able to walk it off, but it is another blow for the Algerian. Erik Lamela is also a doubt for Tottenham after picking up a leg injury while playing for Argentina.
West Ham United Expected XI (4-2-3-1): Adrian (GK); Jenkinson, Tomkins, Reid, Cresswell; Kouyate, Noble; Moses, Lanzini, Zarate; Carroll.
Head-to-Head
The last three games include a win, a loss and a draw for the Spurs side. In total, the London rivals have met 106 times. Tottenham shade the wins with 45 versus West Ham’s 37.
Previous Meeting
Tottenham went behind twice last time out to bring the game to a 2-2 draw. West Ham conceded a penalty allowing Kane to score with the last kick of the game. The penalty was originally saved, but Kane poked in the rebound to earn Spurs a valuable point.
Prediction
Due to Spurs’ and West Ham’s recent form, the game is likely to end in another draw. Tottenham have had a run of draws in their current campaign. However, one would hope that the promising performances of the Tottenham youngsters, Dembele and Eriksen will translate into goals to give Spurs that all important win that will keep them in front of West Ham in the Premier League table.
Tottenham Hotspur 1 West Ham United 1
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