West Bromwich Albion vs Tottenham Hotspur Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News, Betting Odds & Key Stats

Tottenham Hotspur travel to West Bromwich Albion this weekend as they look to maintain their perfect away record in the Premier League.

Tottenham have been on an astonishing winning streak away from The Tottenham Hotspur stadium and they would like to continue that as they face a struggling West Brom side on Sunday noon.

This new look Tottenham side under the one and only Jose Mourinho has already proven a lot of people wrong and continue to do so. They have had a stellar start to the campaign and could very well be on their way to a top 4 finish if not more.

Despite the solid start, Tottenham have had their fair share of struggles versus Brighton and Burnley over the past couple of weeks. At Brighton, Gareth Bale scored the first goal of his new stint in a difficult 2-1 victory. Similarly, they relied on a late Heung-Min Son goal versus Burnley which was also from a corner. Tottenham have struggled a little to score goals from open play versus defensive oppositions.

West Brom’s difficult start to the season hit a new low last week as they stumbled to a 2-0 loss to fellow newly-promoted Fulham. The loss to Fulham has put Slaven Bilic under a lot of pressure, with the Baggies sitting third from bottom after seven games.

West Brom are likely to play in a very compact system and really force Tottenham to try and break them down, and despite their poor defensive record this season, they do have the capability of shutting shop and grinding out a result. However, keeping in mind that the Baggies have only scored 1 goal in the last 4 matches, there is very little chance of an upset.

This game will really be a test of Tottenham’s patience and creativity, and the role of Matt Doherty and Sergio Reguilon as attack-minded full-backs would be pivotal. Someone like Christian Eriksen would have suited them so much.

Team News & Tactics

West Bromwich Albion

Bilic has a vast set of players to pick his team from, with just two notable absentees. Sam Field and Hal Robson-Kanu are the only ones who would not make the squad for the clash on the weekend. On the other hand, Callum Robinson and Dara O’Shea are pushing for a spot in the team and a late fitness test could come to their aid.

It will be interesting to see how Bilic chooses to line up. While he has chosen a 4-5-1 in recent games, a narrow 5-4-1 or 4-4-2 could be on the cards. If Robinson manages to be declared fit, he could start alongside Karlan Grant and cause problems to the shaky Spurs centre-backs. On the other hand, a 5-4-1 approach is more likely to be employed, considering the form of the Kane-Son duo.

Former Spurs player, Jake Livermore and the talented young Conor Gallagher could start in the midfield, with former Chelsea defender, Branislav Ivanovic starting for West Brom again.

Probable Lineup (5-4-1): Johnstone; Townsend, Ajayi, Bartley, Ivanovic, Furlong; Diangana, Gallagher, Livermore, Pereira; Grant

Tottenham

Tottenham travel to the Hawthorns with the expectations of delivering an attacking masterclass. Spurs would hope to break a stubborn West Brom side, something Mourinho teams have struggled with in the past. However, with the star power at their disposal, Spurs should make sure to come back with three points and continue a perfect away record at the difficult Hawthorns.

The Lilywhites, before the start of game week 8, sat on third place – just 2 points of the top of the table. With a difficult fixture for leaders Liverpool, Tottenham could enter the international break on a high by moving to the pole position in the standings.

Tottenham do have some notable absentees with both Erik Lamela and Serge Aurier ruled out of this clash. Reguilon has recovered from his flu and could replace Davies at the left-back position. Centre-back  Toby Alderweireld could be rested for Davinson Sanchez or debutant Joe Rodon, but it is a difficult call to make.

In midfield, Giovani Lo Celso, who impressed in the Europa League, is unlikely to get a start, with Tanguy Ndombele and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, both, returning to the squad. Moussa Sissoko was subbed at the halfway mark during midweek and will start too.

Son Heung-min should return to the starting line-up, while Gareth Bale who is close to full fitness should make another appearance off the bench. Harry Kane and Lucas Moura should complete the eleven, that really looks to be coming together now.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Lloris; Reguilon, Dier, Alderweireld, Doherty; Sissoko, Ndombele, Hojbjerg; Son, Kane, Moura

Betting Odds

Favourable Bets

1. Tottenham to win @ 1.45

Hot Ones

1. Son Heung-Min to score anytime @ 2.30

Key Stats

• This is the first time that West Brom have failed to win any of their first seven league matches since the 2004-5 season.
• West Brom are winless in their last eight Premier League games (D3 L5). The Baggies have shipped 18 goals in this run and failed to score in five different games.
• Tottenham are unbeaten in their previous three trips to The Hawthorns.
• Since losing their opening game of the season against Everton, Tottenham are now on the longest current unbeaten run in the Premier League (W4 D2). Coming into this weekend’s games, Spurs are also the highest scorers in the Premier League this term (18).
• Tottenham striker Harry Kane has scored seven goals in his seven Premier League appearances against West Brom, one of nine sides he averages a goal-per-game or better against in the competition.

Player to Watch

Gareth Bale

All eyes have been on the impressive Son and Kane in recent weeks but the progress of Bale has been remarkable as well. While Bale has certainly been a popular topic of discussion, this time for the right reasons, he is looking like an exciting prospect for Spurs.

Bale scored the winner at Brighton just 3 minutes after coming on and produced an impressive performance in the Europa League as well. He would be hoping to break open from his shackles and mark his arrival to the Premier League.

While a start on the weekend seems difficult, with Jose emphasizing on patience with the Welshman, Bale would be looking to come on early in the second half and make a lasting impact on the game. Tottenham’s golden boy is on the rise.

Prediction

West Brom 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur

West Brom have scored one goal in their past four matches and it is going to be very difficult for them to get past a Mourinho-drilled defence. Tottenham, on the other hand, do look as if they have a mission on their hands and should overcome West Brom’s defence. An early goal for either side could be extremely crucial. But, ultimately, the Lilywhites should come out on top.