Big Match Breakdown: West Ham v Tottenham
A huge derby to start the weekend
The atmosphere at the London Stadium has come under fire since West Ham United moved in. But the ground should be rocking when the Hammers host Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday’s early kick-off.
There’s always some extra spice when these two sides meet. And we could be in for a cracker once again.
Ahead of the game, the Coral News Team have all the low down you need…
Head to Head
Honours have been fairly even between these rivals recently. There have been two wins apiece for each club in the last two seasons, with all four games being won by the home side.
Spurs have only won one of their last four away games against the Hammers. They’ve only managed to score one goal during that run too.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side come into this game after a disappointing draw with Swansea City in their previous league outing. They are currently fifth in the table.
West Ham lie down in 17th. Slaven Bilic has been under real pressure though it has been eased after three games without defeat or conceding.
The Likely XIs
Marco Arnautovic looked very good for West Ham in Carabao Cup action against Bolton. If he starts on the left, Slaven Bilic will need to choose between Andy Carroll and Javier Hernandez in attack.
Mark Noble’s return is well-timed following Pedro Obiang’s injury.
For Spurs, Serge Aurier should come in at right wing-back after sitting out the last two.
On the other flank, Ben Davies is likely to start after an unsuccessful experiment with Heung-Min Son against Burnley.
Key Battles
The wide areas could determine the result of this match and West Ham look vulnerable.
Aaron Cresswell is better going forward than defensively. Pablo Zabaleta’s best days are behind him. Spurs’ energy could expose the Hammers on the flanks.
Dele Alli could also cause real problems for Jose Fonte. The veteran will need to be protected by the players in front of him. Alli will look to drag Fonte out of position with his excellent movement.
Match Odds
Spurs might have struggled in East London in recent years but they’re odds-on favourites at 6/10. West Ham are 9/2 and the draw is 3/1.
Harry Kane has only scored in one of his five league appearances this season. But he’s bagged five in his last five appearances against the Hammers. The England striker is 5/2 as First Goalscorer.
For the home side, Javier Hernandez’s predatory instincts mean that he’ll always pose a threat. The £16m signing looks tempting at 9/4 to score Anytime.
There’s only been a single goal in both of West Ham’s last two home games against Tottenham. The Coral experts think Tottenham and Under 2.5 Goals could be a smart bet at 16/5.
Big match previews and football betting tips – Coral have got it all.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
