West Ham United will host Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium on Sunday, looking to get back to winning ways.
West Ham United are without a win in the last six Premier League matches, and they have dropped to 17th in the league table ahead of the game vs Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon. They will be desperate to produce a strong performance here and give the fans something to cheer about.
On the other hand, Tottenham are in similar form. The North London outfit have lost five of the last six league matches, and they are 16th in the league table, just one point above West Ham. It has been a disappointing season for them, and it will be interesting to see if they can finish it strongly.
Spurs will feel that they have nothing left to play for in the Premier League anymore, and it remains to be seen whether they decide to rest some of their players with the second leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-finals at the back of their mind. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
West Ham United
Graham Potter will be without Michail Antonio, who is recovering from the injuries he sustained in a car crash. Crysencio Summerville misses out with a hamstring issue.
West Ham United will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Tottenham Hotspur, with Alphonse Areola in goal. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson Palmieri will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Max Kilman will form the central defensive partnership alongside Konstantinos Mavropanos.
As for the midfield unit, Guido Rodriguez will start alongside Carlos Soler in the double pivot. They will look to add defensive cover and physicality to the midfield. James Ward-Prowse will start as the attacking midfielder here, and he will look to create goalscoring chances for his teammates.
Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta will add creativity, flair, and goals from the flanks. Finally, Mohammed Kudus will spearhead the West Ham United attack vs Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Mavropanos, Emerson; Rodriguez, Soler; Paqueta, Ward-Prowse, Bowen; Kudus
Tottenham Hotspur
Radu Dragusin misses out with a long-term knee injury, and Lucas Bergvall has a knee injury. Tottenham Hotspur will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs West Ham United, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal.
Pedro Porro and Djed Spence will start as the full-backs, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Cristian Romero will start alongside Micky van de Ven at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Pape Matar Sarr will start alongside Yves Bissouma in the double pivot, and they will look to break down the opposition’s attacking moves.
Dejan Kulusevski and Mathys Tel will start on the flanks, and they will look to add pace and flair to the side. James Maddison will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to open up opportunities for his teammates. Finally, Son Heung-min will lead the line for Tottenham vs West Ham United.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Maddison, Tel; Son
Key Stats
- Tottenham have been losing at both half-time and full-time in their last 3 matches (Premier League).
- Tottenham have lost 5 of their last 6 matches (Premier League).
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in Tottenham‘s last 4 games (Premier League).
- 19 goals have been scored in the last 6 matches between the two teams.
- West Ham are winless in 5 of their last 6 Premier League matches.
Player to Watch
Mohammed Kudus
Tottenham have been quite vulnerable defensively, and West Ham could cause a lot of problems for them. Mohammed Kudus has been in impressive form, and he will look to make a defining impact in the final third. He will look to create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net as well.
Spurs could struggle to contain the technically gifted attacker, and he is our key player to watch out for. West Ham will be hoping to win this game, and they need the Ghana international to step up and produce a strong performance.
Prediction
West Ham United 2-1 Tottenham
Both teams will be desperate for a win, and this is likely to be a close contest. Tottenham have a better team on paper, but they might be lacking in motivation, especially with the UEFA Europa League semi=finals at the back of their mind. Both sides are vulnerable defensively, and they are likely to get on the score sheet.
This is a golden opportunity for West Ham to grind out a positive result at home against their London rivals. West Ham have quality attackers at their disposal, and they might just be able to dismantle the Tottenham defence here. A narrow win for the home side is on the cards.
