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Preview: West Ham host Spurs, with the Hammers searching for first home win

Preview: West Ham host Spurs, with the Hammers searching for first home win

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Those at the London Stadium will be craving some action in this London derby after witnessing three back-to-back draws in this fixture since 2022.

By Filip Mishov

Has Potter run out of tricks?

The under-fire Graham Potter escaped a hammering during the international break with securing a surprise win (0-3) against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, but the same cannot be said for Nuno Espírito Santo who was sacked following the heavy defeat. There is every possibility that it could have been the other way around, if the result was reversed. However, the English coach is still under pressure and the next four matches, starting with this heated derby, could yet determine his future ahead of October’s international window.

Thomas Frank was enjoying a decent start to life at Spurs until the high-flying Bournemouth spoilt the party, but new challenges are coming thick and fast for the Dane, with Tottenham Hotspur aiming to secure a victory at the London Stadium for the first time since 2019 before they open their Champions League campaign with a home tie against Villarreal next week.

Key players

It is hard to look past Jarrod Bowen – he is West Ham’s most important player at the moment, with the captain head and shoulders above anyone else in terms of both quality and character. Furthermore, the England international is averaging a FotMob rating of 7.27, which puts the 28-year-old alongside Mateus Fernandes (7.48) and Lucas Paquetá (7.66) as the Hammers’ top-rated players this season.

There will be a familiar face in the away changing room, as Mohammed Kudus is set to return for the first time since swapping East for North London during the summer. The Ghanian has started well at Spurs, already evolving in to one of Thomas Frank’s irreplaceables. The 25-year-old is the highest-rated outfield player in the squad with a FotMob rating of 7.57, recording two assists so far, adding another while away with Ghana during the international break.

Team news

The Irons’ goalkeeping crisis sparked the board into making a move to re-sign the experienced Lukasz Fabianski who only left the club a few months ago as a free agent and the 40-year-old is expected to provide competition for Alphonse Areola and Mads Hermansen who have both endured a poor start to the season. Apart from the goalkeeping dilemma, Graham Potter is without starting striker, Niclas Füllkrug, who sustained an injury on international duty, meaning that Callum Wilson is expected to start after scoring his debut goal against Forest.

Spurs’ high profile new signings, Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani are fit and available, and given Dominic Solanke‘s doubtful status and the rest of the long-term absentees, both are expected to feature from the start or off the bench. It will be interesting to see whether Mathys Tel features more prominently in the Premier League after his omission from the Champions League squad, with Brennan Johnson‘s place in the starting XI at risk after the Welshman was subbed off after only 54 minutes against the Cherries.

Prediction

The last three meetings between the sides at the London Stadium have ended in identical 1-1 draws and I see history repeating itself once again, with another draw the most realistic outcome.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, player ratings. Download the free app here.

Preview: West Ham host Spurs, with the Hammers searching for first home win

Those at the London Stadium will be craving some action in this London derby after witnessing three back-to-back draws in this fixture since 2022.

By Filip Mishov

Has Potter run out of tricks?

The under-fire Graham Potter escaped a hammering during the international break with securing a surprise win (0-3) against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, but the same cannot be said for Nuno Espírito Santo who was sacked following the heavy defeat. There is every possibility that it could have been the other way around, if the result was reversed. However, the English coach is still under pressure and the next four matches, starting with this heated derby, could yet determine his future ahead of October’s international window.

Thomas Frank was enjoying a decent start to life at Spurs until the high-flying Bournemouth spoilt the party, but new challenges are coming thick and fast for the Dane, with Tottenham Hotspur aiming to secure a victory at the London Stadium for the first time since 2019 before they open their Champions League campaign with a home tie against Villarreal next week.

Key players

It is hard to look past Jarrod Bowen – he is West Ham’s most important player at the moment, with the captain head and shoulders above anyone else in terms of both quality and character. Furthermore, the England international is averaging a FotMob rating of 7.27, which puts the 28-year-old alongside Mateus Fernandes (7.48) and Lucas Paquetá (7.66) as the Hammers’ top-rated players this season.

There will be a familiar face in the away changing room, as Mohammed Kudus is set to return for the first time since swapping East for North London during the summer. The Ghanian has started well at Spurs, already evolving in to one of Thomas Frank’s irreplaceables. The 25-year-old is the highest-rated outfield player in the squad with a FotMob rating of 7.57, recording two assists so far, adding another while away with Ghana during the international break.

Team news

The Irons’ goalkeeping crisis sparked the board into making a move to re-sign the experienced Lukasz Fabianski who only left the club a few months ago as a free agent and the 40-year-old is expected to provide competition for Alphonse Areola and Mads Hermansen who have both endured a poor start to the season. Apart from the goalkeeping dilemma, Graham Potter is without starting striker, Niclas Füllkrug, who sustained an injury on international duty, meaning that Callum Wilson is expected to start after scoring his debut goal against Forest.

Spurs’ high profile new signings, Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani are fit and available, and given Dominic Solanke‘s doubtful status and the rest of the long-term absentees, both are expected to feature from the start or off the bench. It will be interesting to see whether Mathys Tel features more prominently in the Premier League after his omission from the Champions League squad, with Brennan Johnson‘s place in the starting XI at risk after the Welshman was subbed off after only 54 minutes against the Cherries.

Prediction

The last three meetings between the sides at the London Stadium have ended in identical 1-1 draws and I see history repeating itself once again, with another draw the most realistic outcome.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, player ratings. Download the free app here.