Tottenham had a promising first season under Ange Postecoglou, finishing 5th in the Premier League last year. This season, the London club is aiming to break into the top four and return to the Champions League.
However, the start of their campaign has been somewhat inconsistent, as they sit in 9th place with just four points off 4th place.
After suffering back-to-back losses to Newcastle and Arsenal, Spurs bounced back with victories over Brentford (3-1) and Manchester United (3-0), only to stumble again in a 3-2 defeat to Brighton. In the Europa League, Tottenham have been solid, securing wins in their first two matches against Qarabag and Ferencvaros.
Meanwhile, West Ham, who have performed well in European competitions in recent years, finished 9th in the Premier League last season and missed out on European qualification.
While this may offer them an advantage in focusing on domestic football, they currently sit 12th in the table with 8 points from 7 matches. The Hammers will be looking to build on their recent 4-1 win over Ipswich, a result that snapped a four-game winless run that included two draws and two defeats.
For Tottenham, captain Son is out with an injury, joining fellow attackers Odobert and Richarlison on the sidelines.
Winger Johnson, who has been in excellent form with 3 goals in the Premier League, has scored in Spurs’ last six matches across all competitions.
He is expected to be joined by summer signing Solanke (2 goals and 1 assist in the Premier League, plus 1 goal and 1 assist in the Europa League) in the attack. Playmaker Maddison, who netted 2 goals and provided 2 assists in the Premier League, is also available.
West Ham will be without summer signing Füllkrug (0 goals in 3 Premier League games) due to injury, but otherwise have a fully fit squad.
Their key attacking players, including Paqueta (2 goals in the Premier League), Bowen (2 goals and 2 assists), Kudus (1 goal), and Antonio (1 goal and 1 assist), were all on target in their recent win over Ipswich.
Prediction
Despite Tottenham’s seven league games this season only yielding 12 goals, none of their matches have ended in a goalless draw. West Ham, too, have seen goals in each of their last 12 top-flight games. Expect a competitive match with goals on both sides.
Prediction: Tottenham 3-1 West Ham
