Tottenham are the only Premiership team with an unbeaten record this season, but they have drawn more than they have won and consequently find themselves off the pace in the league. They will be desperate to get back to winning ways, and they could find an obliging opponent in West Ham.
The last time Tottenham won was October 2, when they displayed their title credentials with a 2-0 win over Man City. Since then they have struggled. They played out two grueling Champions League games with Bayer Leverkusen, drawing one and losing the other to put their chances of qualifying for the last 16 in serious jeopardy. They lost to Liverpool and drew with Bournemouth, West Brom and Bournemouth. How they missed their talismanic goal scorer in chief Harry Kane, as Vincent Janssen proved himself a distinctly inferior replacement. And what a boost it was to welcome Kane back to the starting line up against Arsenal. Spurs fans were fearing the worst but he gave everyone around him a lift and Tottenham battled to a 1-1 draw. Now is the time for them to get back to winning ways.
West Ham is always a tough fixture for Tottenham. They are fierce local rivals and there seems a real enmity between fans. Last season Tottenham won 4-1 at home but lost 1-0 away to the Hammers. But they are the superior side and they can prove it this weekend.
The Hammers have been poor this season and lie in 17th, just above the relegation zone, with just 11 points from 11 games. That being said, their recent form has been decent. Back to back 1-0 wins against Sunderland and Crystal Palace were followed by a 2-1 League Cup win over Chelsea. They then lost 2-0 to Everton but bounced back with a 1-1 draw against in-form Stoke last time out. They will cause Tottenham problems, but at home. you would fancy Spurs to prove too strong for them.
Tottenham’s unbeaten start has been built on their exceptionally solid defence. Jan Vertonghen has been a colossus at the heart of the defence, meaning the injury to Toby Alderweireld hasn’t hit them too badly. Alderweireld, another fantastic center half, might be back for the West Ham game, which would give them another boost. Kyle Walker and Danny Rose have been excellent on the flanks, while Victor Wanyama, Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele have been exceptionally tough in the middle of the park. Dembele might miss the game through injury, and he would be a big loss, but if he pulls through you would expect Tottenham to win this, particularly if he is joined by Kane, Dele Alli and Alderweireld. In the end, they were unlucky not to beat Arsenal last time out – a magnificent last-ditch block from Nacho Monreal bailed the Gunners out at the death – and they will win this if they play to that level.
A straight bet on Tottenham winning at 1.55 with William Hill looks a decent option and could certainly bolster any accumulators. Tottenham games have seen fewer goals than those of any other team in the Premiership this season – just 21 in 11 matches. The next is Burnley, with 26 goals, while in the same time Liverpool games have featured 44 goals. Tottenham is a team that likes to grind out narrow wins and scrappy draws, so you are unlikely to see many goals in this game. A good option might be to go for Tottenham and under 3.5 goals at 2.50 among Green Listed Bookmakers.
Calculators
