Tottenham face West Ham United following the October international break
Tottenham Hotspur are back in the Premier League after an enforced hiatus from club football caused by the international break. They host West Ham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as they look to clinch all three points having been stunned by Brighton & Hove Albion in their previous outing in the competition a fortnight ago.
The Seagulls scored thrice in the second half to overturn a 2-0 deficit and put an end to Spurs’ five-match winning run in all competitions. Ange Postecoglou’s men will have to rebuild on their streak of good form and face a crosstown rival that has won just one of its last five fixtures in all competitions, conceding 11 goals over that period.
Tottenham have the chance to put additional pressure on Julen Lopetegui, whose side’s form at the early stages of the season could soon raise question marks regarding his future after some lavish spending in the transfer window.
Team News
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur are set to welcome Son Heung-min back for selection against West Ham and it is very much on the cards for the South Korean international to play from the word go. Richarlison is in the final stages of his recovery and will miss the fixture, as will Wilson Odobert, who should also be available to play in the next few days.
Tottenham’s defence and midfield is unlikely to undergo any radical changes with Ange Postecoglou becoming comfortable with a certain set of players in the Premier League. It does look like the Australian will rotate only in the cup competitions, perhaps rightly so given the sheer competition for a top four finish in the English top flight.
Among those who will start are Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke. Both the forwards are enjoying an immaculate run of form for their club having struck over 10 times apiece between them in the last five appearances in all competitions.
PREDICTED TOTTENHAM XI (4-3-3): Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Maddison, Bentancur, Kulusevski; Johnson, Solanke, Son
West Ham
West Ham United are currently 12th in the Premier League and have failed to live up to expectations after a busy transfer window. They have won just twice in seven matches in the league so far in the campaign and will look to pick up at least a point on the road when they visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
The Hammers have no major injury problems. Niklas Fullkrug has a calf problem, however, and is likey to miss the match against Spurs. He has not enjoyed a particularly impressive start to his career in London and consequent to that, it is unlikely that West Ham will be too bothered by his unavailability on matchday eight.
In spite of their poor overall performances this season, West Ham cannot be taken lightly as they have some fantastic offensive players who are more than capable of churning out a surprise at Tottenham.
PREDICTED WEST HAM XI (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Soucek, Rodriguez; Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus; Antonio
Match-deciding duel
Dejan Kulusevski vs Tomas Soucek
Dejan Kulusevski will be tested to the limit in midfield by a smart and hardworking player in Tomas Soucek. The Swede has led the show for Spurs from midfield in recent matches and could prove pivotal if they are to beat West Ham on Saturday.
His Czech opponent will not make life easy for him, however, and it will be an interesting duel to see. Kulusevski will also have to be alert defensively to avoid any lapses on which Soucek can capitalise on by making late runs into the box.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 West Ham
It is only a matter of time before West Ham start finding their feet again, although with an offensive department that is very familiar with one another, they should be able to breach Tottenham’s defence.
The Lilywhites, however, are very productive in midfield and have two in-form attackers, while their captain Son’s return could be enough in helping them to a narrow but important win on home soil.
