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Tottenham vs West Ham United Preview | Team News, Stats & Key Men

Tottenham returned to Premier League action with a 1-1 draw against Manchester United, which kept their slim hopes of a top four finish alive. They are now nine points behind Chelsea, but will know that fifth could be enough to clinch Champions League qualification. On Tuesday, they welcome local rivals West Ham United to North London. This is often a match that provides extra motivation for the visitors. It will be interesting to see if the passion remains without supporters in the stadium.

On Friday night, Tottenham showed some positive signs, as they caused problems on the counter attack. Steven Bergwijn was the standout performer, but Son Heung-min caused problems with his movement. However, they remained vulnerable at the back. Eric Dier looked uncomfortable in the centre back position, as was proven when he conceded the penalty. Jose Mourinho will hope that he can build on the positives and return to winning ways against a poor West Ham team.

David Moyes saw his team return to Premier League action with a defeat. They were second bets in every category against Wolves, highlighting the work still needed in order to stay up. The rest of the results at the bottom will provide hope that they can avoid relegation, but they will be aiming to stay up on their own merit, not the results of others. The squad is an exciting one, which is why supporters believe that the performances can be a lot better. This fixture should provide motivation. If a similar performance is given, the pressure will start to increase on Moyes and the players.

Interesting stats 

Steven Bergwijn has now scored in all of his three home Premier League matches. The first Tottenham player to manage this since Rafael van der Vaart.

West Ham haven’t lost in any of their last three away matches against Tottenham.

Key men

Son

The South Korean was lively against Manchester United as he returned to Premier League action. During the match, Harry Kane looked very short of match fitness, which will increase the pressure on Son. During the last 18 months, he has emerged as a reliable source of goals for Spurs and he will have to be at his best if the side are to qualify for the Champions League. In the league this season, he has contributed nine goals and seven assists, with a goal involvement every 115 minutes. Last season, he was involved in a goal every 113.8 minutes. The consistency showed over the past two seasons is impressive and it can be argued that he would have fared even better if it wasn’t for injuries. West Ham are poor at the back and struggle against dynamic players. Adama Traore changed the game on Saturday with his direct running and pace. Son should take confidence from this and look to have a similar impact on Tuesday.

Noble

The West Ham United captain will need to step up over the coming weeks and offer the leadership to see the club to safety. He has contributed four goals this season and he will be hoping to add one or two to that before the end of the season. David Moyes will be looking for his experienced players to play a big part over the next few matches. Without supporters, Noble has an increased role, as he will need to provide the passion and make sure the team remain focused. The match against Tottenham is important and he will emphasise that to the rest of the squad.

Team news

Lucas Moura is a doubt, but Dele Alli will be back following his suspension. Juan Foyth, Japhet Tanganga and Troy Parrott will all be missing.

Arthur Masuaku, Sebastian Haller and Pablo Zabaleta all have knocks, but they could have some involvement. Angelo Ogbonna and Robert Snodgrass are long term absentees.

Verdict

It is difficult to think that West Ham will get anything from this match, but their supporters will be hoping for a much improved performance. They were very poor against Wolves and looked like relegation candidates. Meanwhile, Tottenham showed signs of encouragement against Manchester United and the should have the attacking quality to win the match. They will be looking for an improvement from Harry Kane, who looked off the pace on Friday.

Tottenham 3-0 West Ham United

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