Premier League: Expect Goals when Spurs Meet the Hammers

Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United

There’s a full programme of top-flight football to enjoy this week folks, starting with Wolverhampton Wanderers against Burnley on Tuesday and closing with a tasty London clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs versus West Ham United is a fifth versus ninth meeting, but the gap has been closing in recent weeks as Tottenham have hit the skids while the Hammers have been on a winning run. Ange Postecoglou has given Spurs a new exciting identity and they raced away at the top of the table, unbeaten in their first ten games, but three losses on the bounce have seen the North Londoners drop outside the top four.   

Postecoglou’s opposite number David Moyes has all the Premier League experience in the world, and he’s at home at the London Stadium with the Hammers, winning the Europa Conference League last term, and he will have his team primed and ready to rock the stumbling Spurs.    

Both teams come into the game on the back of a draw: a spectacular point in a 3-3 draw away to Manchester City for Spurs and a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace for the Hammers. This has all the hallmarks of a highly competitive clash, and I’ll be amazed if we don’t see a handful of goals.  

Talking Points

Spurs squad is stretched to the limit

Potsecoglou led Tottenham to a spectacular set of Premier League 2023 results over the first ten games of the season but then he picked up just one point from the last four.

Even with some key absentees Spurs matched Manchester City on Sunday, scoring a dramatic late leveller as Dejan Kulusevski planted a header beyond City keeper Ederson on 90 minutes.  

The Whites avoided a fourth consecutive defeat, but they will have to go again on Thursday against another tough opponent, with a depleted squad again and there are some key players missing.

Creative midfielder James Maddison has been a revelation under the new manager, but he picked up an ankle injury during a 4-1 loss to Chelsea, and midfield general Rodrigo Bentancur has been sadly missed since he picked up an ankle injury in the 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.

Winger Manor Solomon is sidelined with a knee injury, but there may be better news from centre back Eric Dier, who was injured in training last week but should be fit to face the Hammers.

They may be depleted, but Spurs will not be deterred, led by Heung-Min Son, who scored the opener and then an own goal against Manchester City. This team can beat anyone; the latest Premier League 2023 betting odds rate Spurs as fourth favourites to win the title, but maybe, at this moment in time, they can lose the odd game too!

West Ham will never roll over

Spurs scored a late leveller on Sunday, but West Ham failed to convert a lead over Crystal Palace into a win. The livewire Mohammed Kudus opened the scoring with a superb strike on 13 minutes, but the Hammers couldn’t add to that lead and were punished when Odsonne Edouard equalised early in the second half.

In recent weeks, Moyes’ boys have rallied late in games to snatch results, scoring two in the last five minutes to beat Burnley 2-1, and midfield ace Tomas Soucek has scored late goals in narrow wins over Nottingham Forest and Backa Topola in the Europa League. The ability to keep running when all seems lost is a real quality in a team hoping to break into the top seven again.

The Hammers have been suspect in defence from time to time, shipping three goals in a loss to Brentford and two against Forest but they are dependable in attack, with England star Jarrod Bowen scoring eight goals and the dead ball specialist James Ward Prowse making five assists. Kudus, with his trickery and electric pace, is a real handful and Spurs’ depleted defence will have a busy night.  

History

Tottenham have won 30 of their 61 meetings with West Ham in the Premier League era while the Hammers have won 20 and there have been 11 draws.  

Spurs won this fixture 2-0 last season and have not lost to West Ham on their last five home encounters.

Recent form favours the visitors, who have won four and drawn one of the last five, while Spurs have won one, drawn one, and lost three over that period.      

Betting Tip

At SBOTOP odds of 1.76 to win, Spurs are strong favourites to take all three points in this London derby, with the Hammers at 3.57 and the draw at 3.56, but I think the hosts may struggle to dominate a side managed by the savvy Moyes. The Hammers have kept just one clean sheet all season, so we can expect goals at both ends of the pitch.

 

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