Tottenham will be absolutely desperate for a win this weekend when they take on Hull City at White Hart Lane.
Spurs’ form has drastically regressed lately, losing 3-0 away to Stoke City just last week, and could end up dropping to eighth place in the league table if other results go against them. Mauricio Pochettino, the man who oversaw what looked like a resurgence for Tottenham just a few months ago, will now be hoping they can get the result they need in order to even have a chance of playing European football next season.
Of course, Steve Bruce will wish that he was in the same position as his counterpart at Spurs. Hull are in freefall and now find themselves in the relegation zone, occupying the only place that has still to be confirmed for the drop. Hull desperately need a win as there is a chance they could be relegated this weekend, as long as Leicester City, Newcastle United and Sunderland are able to pick up the necessary results.
Both teams have it all to play for and the result could be decisive for the fortunes of both.
Team News
Spurs only have a few injury concerns ahead of this game. Emmanuel Adebayor and Kyle Walker should be back in time for the Premier League’s final weekend. Ben Davies is out for the season though with a dislocated shoulder.
Hull have a number of injuries in their side. Gaston Ramirez and Mohamed Diame are unlikely to appear again before the end of the season, while Curtis Davies and Robert Snodgrass will have to wait until next season before they play for Hull again.
Interesting Statistics
- Tottenham have only been victorious in one of their last six league matches; a 3-1 win over Newcastle on April 19th.
- Spurs have not lost to Hull in the league since 2008.
- Hull can be relegated this weekend if they lose and other results go against them.
- Only three teams have scored fewer goals in the league this season than Hull.
Key Players
Tottenham Hotspur – Harry Kane
Kane has been one of the best players in the league this season and deservedly won the Young Player of the Year award. In 32 league appearances for Spurs, he has scored 20 goals. According to Squawka.com, he has created 27 chances for his team-mates and made four assists in the process. The striker also has a passing accuracy of 75% due to his completion of 609 passes in the league. Kane has only been able to win 41% of his overall duels however and indeed, the only winning percentage he has in this area is in terms of how many fouls he has suffered compared to his committing of them. Having said that, Spurs would have struggled without Kane’s goals this season and they will hope he can score again on Saturday.
Hull City – Ahmed Elmohamady
In a season of mediocrity for Hull, Elmohamady has been one of their better players. In 36 league appearances for the club, he has scored two goals from midfield. According to Squawka.com, he has created 62 chances for his team-mates but only five of these have resulted in assists. The midfielder has completed 1104 passes this season, meaning he has a passing accuracy of 74%. The good news for Hull fans is that Elmohamady has played 79% of these completed passes forward. He has won 52 of the 100 tackles he has attempted and has a 61% success rate when taking on opponents. If Hull are to keep their survival hopes alive this weekend then they will need a big performance from Elmohamady.
Prediction
Tottenham have had a torrid time of it lately but you have to consider them favourites against a Hull side facing relegation. That being said, Hull will be desperate for a good result and will fire everything they have at Spurs. I expect the game to end in a narrow 1-0 win for Tottenham.
