Tottenham will go top of the Premier League if we win at West Ham on Wednesday. Many will now feel that a Spurs win in this match to notch up a seventh league win on the spin for the first time in nearly half a century and then beat Arsenal, the title can be theirs.
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What a game this is. West Ham are playing excellent football. They're unbeaten at home since August. This is their last Upton Park derby with Spurs and Payet could win Footballer of the Year.
Leicester's draw with West Brom on Tuesday means Spurs, who trail the Foxes by three points, can go top of the table on goal difference.
Spurs, who have not won the title for 55 years, last led the table in March or later in 1964, when they eventually finished fourth.
Their highest finish since then is third, on five occasions.
Mauricio Pochettino's side have won their last six Premier League matches, a run dating back to a 1-0 defeat by Leicester in January.
After visiting Upton Park, we host third-placed Arsenal on Saturday, with the Gunners three points behind their north London rivals before they play Swansea on Wednesday.
Preview continues below.....
The Opposition
Full Name: West Ham United Football Club
Nickname(s): The Irons, The Hammers, The Academy of Football
Founded: 1895; 121 years ago, as Thames Ironworks,
5 July 1900; 115 years ago, as West Ham United
Ground: Boleyn Ground (1904–2016)
Capacity: 35,016[1]
Owner(s): David Sullivan (51.1%)
David Gold (35.1%)
Other Investors: (13.8%)[2]
Manager: Slaven Bilić
League: Premier League
Current Position: 6th
The Last 5 - West Ham
Premier League - West Ham 1-0 Sunderland
FA Cup - Blackburn 1-5 West Ham
Premier League - Norwich 2-2 West Ham
FA Cup - West Ham 2-1 Liverpool
Premier League - Southampton 1-0 West Ham
The Last 5 - Tottenham
Premier League - Tottenham 2-1 Swansea
Europa League - Tottenham 3-0 Fiorentina
FA Cup - Tottenham 0-1 Crystal Palace
Europa League - Fiorentina 1-1 Tottenham
Premier League - Manchester City 1-2 Tottenham
Stat Attack
- Spurs could win seven successive league matches for the first time in 49 years since March to May 1967.
- West Ham have won only three of the last 17 Premier League meetings (W3, D3, L11).
- There have been three red cards in the last two encounters at the Boleyn Ground.
Teams News - West Ham
West Ham forward Diafra Sakho could be involved against Tottenham for the first time since suffering a thigh injury in November.
Sam Bryam is suspended, while Winston Reid, Joey O'Brien, James Tomkins and Enner Valencia are still injured.
Teams News - Tottenham
For Spurs, midfielder Dele Alli is a fitness doubt because of a foot problem.
Tom Carroll has recovered from an Achilles tendon injury, while Mousa Dembele might return from a groin strain in time to face Arsenal on Saturday.
View of the e-Spurs Podcast Team
Jason's View
Sunday was the perfect start to perhaps our biggest ever week in the premier league. We had the huge week in 2010 where we beat Arsenal and Chelsea back to back as we closed in on a top-4 place, we had a big week under AVB against the same opponents as Bale stunner at Upton Park was followed by a 2-1 victory at the Lane over Woolwich, but again, that was chasing a top-4 place. The timing of the week is almost identical to that, let’s hope for the same results, but without reference to any ‘downward spirals’. How that comment came back to haunt us.
Sunday’s win was hugely impressive and showed everything about the 2016 Pochettino Tottenham. Yet again, we showed the character, determination and drive to come from behind. Alan Curtis’ words post match told you everything about us. The word ‘Spursy’ is being redefined.
Looking at the remaining fixtures, for me, there is no harder individual fixture than West Ham away. They are unbeaten in 11 at Upton Park, and in fairness, at times this season they have been impressive themselves, and in Dimitri Payet, they have a player that has made a huge impression on the Premier League, and has been very influential for them, and they have plenty of pace up front. And as many critics as he has, there are no doubt if they get the delivery right, Andy Carroll in the air is capable of causing any team problems. It’s fair to say their best performances have probably all come away from the Boleyn. But against the bigger sides at home, they’ve beaten Chelsea, beaten Liverpool twice, and were the better side in a 2-2 draw with Man City. So rivalry banter aside, they have to be respected.
We all know how much the Spurs game means to them, the fact it’s the last at the Boleyn, and the demands to right their poorest day this season, the 4-1 defeat at The Lane are sure to make it’s a fiery atmosphere. Atmosphere’s like that often lead to incredible games, but this can also work in our favour as we know the noise level of our away support can not be bettered, and of course we’ve had the better of those games in recent years with Paul Stalteri and Bale providing winners that will long be remembered, and of course Eric Dier added to that list of late late winners last season.
One thing is for certain; we won’t suffer the bullying that we got under Sherwood in that chaotic and embarrassing game when Kaboul was sent off. West Ham’s slim hopes of a top-4 place themselves depend on them winning, and with no damage to them if they lose, they are sure to come at us with all guns blazing. We have the ability, mentality and capacity to handle that, and of course, we can cause them with just as many problems, if not more, ourselves.
If we are to win there, we need to make sure we don’t get caught out on the counter attack, Dier must control Payet, and we must stop the delivery to, and silly free kicks where they can aim for Carroll.
As I say, those hot atmospheres often lead to crazy games, and whilst I’m not saying we cannot win there, I just have a hunch it could be a high scoring 2-2 draw, or even a 3-2 win either way.
If we do win here, and then go on to beat Woolwich, even I may then come out of Ricky’s cupboard!!
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