Tottenham v West Ham – Preview, Predictions and Best Bets

Tottenham host West Ham on Sunday in a key English Premier League battle in the race for a top-four finish. The Hammers sit above Spurs on goal difference but both teams trail Arsenal by three points having played more matches. David Moyes’ side played 120 minutes on Thursday and are sure to be very tired of this match against a Tottenham side with four wins in six in the league having who have been alternating wins and losses in all competitions.

Tottenham Form

Spurs have been wildly inconsistent of late. Their last 16 matches have seen eight wins and eight losses and they have alternated the two results over their last eight matches in all competitions: LWLWLWLW. To be fair, their recent results have included two cup defeats to Chelsea and a shock FA Cup loss at Middlesbrough.

If we purely look at league results, Tottenham won four of their last six after losing three on the bounce. A 3-2 win at City was followed by losing at Burnley. 4-0 and 5-0 thrashings of Leeds and Tottenham followed before a 3-2 loss at Man Utd where Spurs actually played quite well. Their match in midweek brought a 2-0 win at Brighton as Cristian Romero and Harry Kane got the goals.

Tottenham Team News

Tottenham have a very settled side of late and only have three smaller injuries to contend with. Japhet Tanganga and Ryan Sessegnon are out in defensive areas with knee and thigh injuries respectively. Oliver Skipp still has a groin issue and misses out.

Antonio Conte is expected to name an unchanged XI from the win at Brighton.

Tottenham Motivation

This is a must-win match in the race for the top four. Spurs’ players have spoken about the fact that it may require them to win nine of their ten remaining matches to have a chance of fourth.

Tottenham will attack in parts but are more comfortable ceding possession and looking to use transitions. A high-energy start is expected as West Ham went to extra time on Thursday night and will be exhausted.

West Ham Form

The Hammers looked like they were about to fall out of the top four race in January after consecutive defeats. They have recovered well to win three of their last six matches in the league. A 1-0 home win against Wolves was followed by a 1-0 defeat at Liverpool where they had some big changes.

A first leg 1-0 defeat at Sevilla in the Europa League was followed by beating Aston Villa 2-1 in the league after two goals in the final 20 minutes. In their last match, West Ham were outstanding at home to beat Sevilla 2-0 after extra time to progress in Europe. Tomáš Souček and Andriy Yarmolenko got the goals as they controlled Sevilla’s attack superbly.

West Ham Team News

David Moyes has a very tough task on his hands for this match. Vladmir Coufal and Angelo Ogbonna remain injured in defence whilst Jarrod Bowen is absent in attack. His side played 120 minutes on Thursday so he certainly has to rotate somewhat in this match.

Lukasz Fabianski will return in goal and perhaps Issa Diop could start in defence. Aaron Cresswell could get a rest after a recent knock with Arthur Masuaku coming in. Mark Noble, Nikola Vlasic, and Andriy Yarmolenko are other options to freshen things up.

West Ham Motivation

The Hammers know that a defeat in this match could be a mortal blow to their top-four hopes. They need to avoid defeat to stay above Spurs and hope that Arsenal drop points at Aston Villa.

Considering the lack of rest, Moyes could play a defensive setup with three central defenders or three central midfielders to clog the middle against Conte’s setup.

Key Stats

Spurs have scored 2+ goals in 7 of their last 8 home matches

Tottenham’s home matches have seen over 2.5 goals in 5 of their last 6

Spurs have scored 2+ goals in their last 3 home matches vs West Ham (all comps)

West Ham have lost 5 of their last 9 away PL matches

WHU have conceded in 8 of their last 9 away matches (PL)

Verdict

This is a big match in the race for Champions League football. Spurs are looking a bit more consistent in the league of late (4 wins in 6) and are free-scoring at home. They face a West Ham side who struggle on their travels and are sure to be exhausted by their extra time affair against Sevilla. A home win looks likely.

Best Bet: Tottenham win at 1.74
Alternative Bet: Tottenham win and over 2.5 goals at 2.55
Alternative Bet: Tottenham win and Harry Kane to score anytime at 2.98
Correct Score Tip: Spurs 3-1 West Ham at 13.00
Safe multiplier Leg: Tottenham/Draw double chance + over 1.5 goals at 1.47

James O'Connor

James is a football analyst who writes about the tactics of the PSL and English Premier League. He holds the UEFA A coaching licence and has previously worked for several clubs in analysis roles.Twitter: https://twitter.com/footy_analysis