Tottenham host West Ham United in a key clash in the top-four race, as both teams seek three points to improve their chances.
Tottenham are considered one of the main contenders to finish in the Premier League’s top four despite their recent defeat to rivals Manchester United. The Red Devils secured a 3-2 win at Old Trafford courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick.
Antonio Conte’s men bounced back from the defeat to secure a comfortable win against Brighton in midweek, as Cristian Romero and Harry Kane got on the scoresheet in the 2-0 win. The result took them closer to Manchester United, West Ham and Arsenal, with the latter losing to Liverpool on the same day.
However, Spurs find themselves under pressure to obtain a positive result against West Ham, a team they have struggled with in recent seasons. Both teams remain level on points coming into this fixture, with the Hammers having played a game more and being ahead on goal difference. Tottenham are aiming to head into the international break in fifth place, three points behind Arsenal in fourth.
West Ham will certainly want to stop Tottenham’s charge to take over their position in the table. The Hammers would look to leapfrog Manchester United into fifth and sign off for the international break on a high note. However, the visit to Spurs will be tricky, especially after their midweek exploits.
David Moyes’ men successfully overcame a 1-0 deficit against Sevilla by winning 2-0 at home to advance to the quarterfinals of the Europa League. Goals from Tomas Soucek and Andriy Yarmalenko sent the Hammers through at the expense of their Spanish counterparts, as the London side now switch attention to domestic matters.
Despite being inconsistent with their recent results, West Ham are still very much in the hunt for the fourth spot, although the Europa League could derail their ambitions in the Premier League. Nonetheless, Moyes will instruct his players to target three points and take a big step forward when they visit north London.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham
Oliver Skipp, Japhet Tanganga and Ryan Sessegnon are the only confirmed absentees for Spurs ahead of the West Ham clash. Considering the players at Conte’s disposal, the Italian is expected to name an unchanged side from their latest victory over Brighton.
☀️ #FridayFeeling ☀️ pic.twitter.com/PnPZF2PMXS
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 18, 2022
There should be no problems with the fitness of those who played on Wednesday, despite the proximity between the games. Conte will prefer to stick with the same back three of Romero, Eric Dier and Ben Davies, while Hugo Lloris remains the undisputed starter in goal.
As Conte confirmed that Skipp’s return is likely to be after the international break, there’s no reason to anticipate change in central midfield. Rodrigo Betancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg have performed well in recent games and should continue their partnership.
Sergio Reguilon will continue at left wing-back in the absence of Sessegnon, while Matt Doherty will keep Emerson Royal out of the starting eleven on the other flank. Dejan Kulusevski will hope to add to his impressive performances in recent times, with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min the other forwards in the front three.
Probable lineup (3-4-3) – Lloris; Romero, Dier, Davies; Doherty, Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Reguilon; Kulusevski, Kane, Son
West Ham United
The midweek clash against Sevilla did not result in any new problems for Moyes in terms of injuries. The Hammers are missing three stars in Jarrod Bowen, Vladimir Coufal and Angelo Ogbonna, with the latter out for the season with a knee injury.
An Antonio goal vs Spurs = An iconic celebration
When we hosted tomorrow's opponents earlier in the season…#TOTWHU pic.twitter.com/dMylAL3BwN
— West Ham United (@WestHam) March 19, 2022
The visitors are certainly missing Bowen and his goals for the team, although the Sevilla result will fill them with confidence. Michail Antonio also provided Moyes with a boost after returning to action against Sevilla. He is available to lead the line at Spurs.
Moyes could make one more change in attack. Yarmolenko, who has scored in back-to-back games against Aston Villa and Sevilla, is the best possible option available to Moyes from the right side, as he can then use Fornals’ quality on the left side, to which he is better suited.
Probable lineup (4-2-3-1) – Fabianski; Johnson, Dawson, Zouma, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice; Yarmolenko, Lanzini, Fornals; Antonio
Key Stats
- Tottenham have scored 2 goals in 7 of their last 8 home games in the Premier League.
- Tottenham have scored at least 2 goals in their last 3 home games against West Ham.
- Tottenham have scored 13 goals in their last 4 games in the Premier League.
- Harry Kane scored a record-setting 95th Premier League away goal in midweek against Brighton.
- West Ham and Spurs are level on points in the Premier League table.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
When the two sides met earlier in the season, Spurs and Kane were under increasing pressure due to their poor results. In the same period, Antonio was in fine form and scored the goal that secured a win for West Ham against Spurs.
It may be time for Kane to return the favour and lead Tottenham to a win over their London rivals. There is increased emphasis on getting three points as the team that does it will have an advantage in the top-four race. Players like Kane give Spurs the extra quality in the final third to make the difference in the game, and the striker will be keen to make his mark.
Prediction
Tottenham 2-1 West Ham United
With the Hammers playing 120 minutes against Sevilla on Thursday – the day after Spurs played Brighton – the north Londoners may have an advantage in terms of fitness.
The game is expected to be decided on fine margins, and fatigue could certainly play a role in favour of Spurs. The north London side may take three points here in a narrow win to move ahead of their rivals in the table.
