Tottenham Hotspur visit London Stadium in the Premier League in Gameweek 25, as they lock horns with West Ham United in a tricky affair on Sunday noon.
Tottenham Hotspur will be eyeing three significant points to regain the momentum in the Premier League, as they face a commendable West Ham United side in Gameweek 25 at London Stadium on Sunday.
West Ham have been enjoying a fantastic 2020/21 season. The Hammers had produced a sensational performance against Sheffield United, where David Moyes’ men battered their opponents 3-0 to claim the 5th spot in the table. As we are heading into the decisive end of this campaign, the Hammers need to ensure that they remain consistent and continue to push for a European spot.
As far as Tottenham are concerned, the North London side have been very sluggish of late, losing their last Premier League fixture against Manchester City, a game wherein Jose Mourinho’s were completely outplayed. They did bounce back to winning ways in midweek, defeating Wolfsberger AC in the UEFA Europa League and must build on it and revive their league campaign.
In the reverse fixture, West Ham united shattered their oppositions’ hopes, as an injury-time equalizer allowed the Hammers to wrap up the event in a 3-3 thrilling draw after having been three goals down. And, ahead of this fixture in the Premier League on Sunday noon, The Hard Tackle will run the rule over both sides.
Team News & Tactics
West Ham United
David Moyes is hopeful of having striker Michail Antonio available for selection for Sunday’s Premier League London derby with Tottenham Hotspur. dg pic.twitter.com/Cyplt0OFeb
— David Gold (@davidgold) February 19, 2021
David Moyes has been stressing over the fitness concerns of his star man Michael Antonio, as the forward missed the last two games. But he could be available to play some part in the London derby, which could play a pivotal part in the outcome. 32-year-old defender Angelo Ogbonna and Arthur Masuaku remain absent, while Andriy Yarmolenko will not be available due to a knee injury.
West Ham manager will set his team in a 3-4-2-1 formation, which allowed him to penetrate Sheffield United’s defence with ease. Lukasz Fabianski will be the inevitable face between the sticks, as the goalkeeper has been displaying his credibility with immense effect.
With the three-man defensive scheme, David Moyes will expect his defenders to showcase their stability in that crucial zone. Issa Diop and Aaron Cresswell will be the figures to narrow down the spaces at the back, while Craig Dawson will command the region with all his experience.
Vladimir Coufal will slot in as the right wing-back and could play a pivotal part in this fixture with his forward runs. On the opposite side, Ben Johnson should retain his place after a decent performance in his previous game against the Blades.
Tomas Soucek is a certain starter in the middle of the park for the hosts. Declan Rice ought to line up alongside the Czech international and look to hold the fort down steadily in midfield, while his partner will also look to make late runs into the box get himself into goalscoring positions.
Manuel Lanzini with Jesse Lingard will try to pull the strings in the final third region. In the absence of their main man Antonio in the forward department, Jarrod Bowen should be the final piece of his manager’s scheme, and without a single goal in his previous six matches, he needs to make an impact at the earliest.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Fabianski; Diop, Dawson, Creswell; Coufal, Soucek, Rice, Johnson; Lanzini, Lingard; Bowen
Tottenham Hotspur
Jose Mourinho could breathe a sigh of relief, as summer signing Sergio Reguilon could make a return within next week against. The Spanish international, however, is set to miss the derby. Argentine central midfielder Giovani Lo Celso wstill needs a few weeks of recovery to make his return to the first eleven.
Spurs No. 1 Hugo Lloris will stand as the final line of defence, and the goalkeeper needs to be on the top of his game to keep the opposition at bay. Eric Dier should form the defensive pair along with Belgian international Toby Alderweireld.
Matt Doherty had a magnificent outing in the previous game in Europa League, and the right-back will be venturing forward at every given opportunity in an attempt to create chances for his teammates. On the other flank, Ben Davies will likely take a more conservative approach.
Jose Mourinho on Reguilon and Lo Celso’s injury:
“I think Reguilon next week against Wolfsberger home match. Not Gio. No, no, no. Gio is still a few weeks away and of course we need him because he gives us lots of qualities and options and we've missed him for a long time." pic.twitter.com/u4dyJP7LQR
— The Spurs Express (@TheSpursExpress) February 19, 2021
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will form the double pivot structure along with Tanguy Ndombele. They could be prominent faces in the midfield territory, as the former looks to cut off any possible threats from the opposition while the latter drives the team forward.
Gareth Bale is likely to feature as the right-winger, whose blistering pace will allow Spurs’ to wreak havoc in the final third. Son Heung-min will play the role of left-winger. With 13 goals and 6 assists, the South Korean international has demonstrated his importance to the side.
Lucas Moura will be essaying the No. 10 role on this game, as the player needs to be consistent in his craft to become a permanent face in the first eleven. As expected, English striker Harry Kane will be setting the tone for the North London side up top, as his clinical nature in front of goal will hold the key.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Doherty, Dier Alderweireld, Davies; Hojbjerg, Ndombele; Bale, Moura, Son; Kane
Betting Odds
Favourable Tips
1. Both Teams to Score – YES @ 1.75
Hot Ones
1. West Ham to win @ 2.70
Key Stats
- In their last 22 meetings across all competitions, Tottenham have overcome West Ham on 10 occasions (D4). Meanwhile, the Hammers have bagged 8 wins.
- Tottenham Hotspur, in their last 5 outings, surpassed their opponents just two times (L3). West Ham United, too, have picked up just 2 wins out of their last 5 fixtures (D1 L2).
- Jose Mourino’s side should be looking at this fixture to improve their away form, as they have gathered 18 points out of a possible 33. On the other hand, the Hammers have been quite impressive at home, losing just three of the 12 games in their own backyard (W6 D3).
- Harry Kane remains the top assist provider in this season (11). Aaron Creswell is standing in the 5th position of the chart, as he bagged 6 assists.
- The last time West Ham United had managed to win against Spurs in the Premier League, was on May 6, 2017.
Player to Watch
Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale in the first half for Spurs vs. Wolfsberger:
100% shot-conversion
100% passing accuracy
4 tackles (most)
3 chances created (most)
2/3 take-ons completed
1 goal
1 assistFinally back to his best? pic.twitter.com/R4P5uujCao
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 18, 2021
After an exhibition of a dazzling performance in Europa League Round of 32 first leg at Puskas Arena, the Spurs No. 9 will be raring to maintain the rhythm against West Ham. Bale, since arriving in the summer transfer window, has not been able to showcase his quality with consistency this season, but needs to build on his most recent performance.
In his 17 appearances in Tottenham colours, he scored 5 times and delivered a single assist, which does not reflect the player’s calibre. The second half of the season will be crucial for the Welsh wing-wizard, and his first and foremost priority should be making a difference on Sunday against the Hammers.
Prediction
West Ham United 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Sitting on the 5th spot in the Premier League table, West Ham United have been relishing a fine season under David Moyes. Tottenham, meanwhile, are hanging on the 9th position in spite of a promising first half of the campaign, and due to this reason, they will look at this game as a chance to turn things around get back on track.
West Ham have shown that they are a difficult team to beat and have it in them to pull off a victory. However, the quality in the Tottenham ranks, who will further be boosted by Harry Kane’s return after he sat out the last game, could be telling. The Hard Tackle, thus predicts a narrow win for the Lilywhites.
