Antonio Conte rushed back to the sidelines but was compelled to extend his rest period after undergoing surgery. Consequently, Cristian Stellini will once again assume control of Tottenham Hotspur. Interestingly, Tottenham Hotspur managed to secure a victory in the game that Conte missed against Manchester City. However, they have since endured consecutive away games with their permanent manager on the sidelines.
Tottenham Hotspur
The race for the top four is heating up, and despite suffering a heavy defeat at Leicester City last weekend, Tottenham Hotspur are currently in fifth place in the Premier League table, just two points behind Newcastle United. They will be playing at home this Sunday, where they have recorded a 7-0-4 record in the Premier League this season.
Tottenham Hotspur had been on a winning streak of three games in all competitions, but the past week has proven to be challenging for the team, having suffered a 4-1 defeat at Leicester City and a 1-0 loss at AC Milan in the Champions League Last 16 First Leg. Despite losing four out of five home Premier League games, Tottenham Hotspur managed to cause an upset with a 1-0 victory over Manchester City in their most recent league fixture played at home.
Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur are both long-term absentees for the home team, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg returns from a European suspension, providing a boost to the midfield.
West Ham United
West Ham United’s recent draws with Newcastle United and Chelsea may have given fans a glimmer of hope, but the pressure remains high for both the players and David Moyes. Although there is a possibility that West Ham United may drop back into the relegation zone by the end of the final game of the Premier League weekend, Moyes is focusing on what he can control – the performances of his own team.
Currently sitting in 16th place in the Premier League table, West Ham United are just two points ahead of Everton, who are in the relegation zone. However, as previously mentioned, the table could look significantly different by Sunday afternoon. The team’s poor away record of 1 win, 3 draws, and 7 losses has been a significant factor in their position in the bottom third of the Premier League table.
Since their disappointing 1-0 loss to Wolves, West Ham United have remained unbeaten in four games across all competitions, earning 5 points out of a possible 9 and advancing to the FA Cup Fifth Round. Despite winning their away FA Cup ties against Brentford and Derby County earlier in January, West Ham United have yet to win any of their 9 away League games.
The availability of Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd, Maxwel Cornet, and Gianluca Scamacca remains uncertain for the away team. However, Aaron Cresswell is expected to be available for the match, while Lucas Paqueta is likely to miss out, although he may have avoided a major injury last Saturday.
Head to Head
Earlier this season, these London rivals played out a 1-1 draw at the London Stadium.
In recent home games against West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur have won three out of their last four matches, with the exception being a game where they had a 3-0 lead, but a remarkable comeback from the away team forced a 3-3 draw.
TWV Sport Team Thoughts
The upcoming match between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United is poised to have significant implications for both ends of the Premier League table.
Tottenham Hotspur, who are vying for a top-four finish, have the potential to climb into those coveted positions with a win. Nevertheless, their primary objective will be securing three points, regardless of their league standing by the end of the weekend.
On the other hand, the points are crucial for a surprisingly struggling West Ham United team, who may find themselves in the relegation zone if other results go against them on Saturday. Despite the recent battling performances, a loss would intensify the pressure on manager David Moyes. However, he continues to have the backing of the board.
West Ham United’s inconsistent away performances make them susceptible to defeat on a ground where they have only won one out of their last four games in all competitions. Although they staged a remarkable comeback to secure a 3-3 draw two seasons ago after being 3-0 down, Tottenham Hotspur defeated them twice at home last season. Therefore, I anticipate a stronger performance from Tottenham Hotspur this weekend, especially after their lacklustre display against Leicester City last weekend.
Although Tottenham Hotspur struggled in their Champions League match against Milan on Tuesday, their midfield has regained some strength ahead of this fixture. Tottenham Hotspur have had ample time to recover and prepare for the match, and their stronger home record should provide them with greater confidence.
While both teams excel in attacking, Tottenham Hotspur appears to have a slight edge over West Ham United in terms of defence. Therefore, we predict that Tottenham Hotspur will secure a victory, though it won’t be an easy feat. Tottenham Hotspur will potentially generate enough opportunities to score against a West Ham United squad that might be lacking two central defenders. With Cristian Romero back in the mix, Tottenham Hotspur should be more confident defensively than they were last weekend at the King Power Stadium. I anticipate that Tottenham Hotspur will win, but they will likely need to score at least twice to do so.
Match Result Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur to win.
Score Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 2 – 0 West Ham United
