West Ham United vs Tottenham Hotspur
It’s always a treat when two of the most famous old clubs in England come head to head, and Premier League: West Ham vs Spurs will be no exception.
These two London giants have wowed their fans with flair players and attractive football over the years, with Spurs admittedly more recently than the Hammers. But both Manuel Pellegrini and Mauricio Pochettino have good reason to be satisfied with their teams’ recent efforts.
After a shocking start, Pellegrini has got West Ham going with some impressive performances; he has his eye on a top-half finish at the very least. Meanwhile, Spurs have been the subject of scrutiny, with questions asked over their fluency so far this term. But they arrive at the London Stadium just two points off the top of the table.
Talking Points
Pel is getting it right
I reckon the West Ham vs Spurs highlights will be well worth a watch when you get the chance, and not least because the Hammers have begun to turn round a tough start to the season. Pellegrini has them playing the type of football their fans have been yearning for.
Marko Aranautovic looks like he’s getting back to his best and was outstanding in the Hammers’ recent victory over Manchester United. The enigmatic Austrian is a moody player and has been smiling since returning from injury. His physical presence and potential for genius make him almost undefendable when he’s on his game. He already has four goals this season, and I believe Pellegrini will get the best out of him.
Co-striker Andriy Yarmolenko arrived from Borussia Dortmund in the summer hoping to get his career back on track, having struggled at the Signal Iduna Park. He’s spent most of his career at Dynamo Kiev and established himself as a goal-scoring winger for Ukraine. He’s settled well at the London Stadium, scoring twice and showing what an exciting player he can be, though he has missed the odd sitter!
The Hammers managed to lose to Brighton after impressive results against Everton, Chelsea and Manchester United. Even so, the West Ham vs Spurs betting odds will look kinder to the Hammers than they would have a month ago.
Record signing Issa Diop will have his work cut out at the heart of the Hammers’ defence, and he could be the key to the outcome.
Spurs stars outwitted Spain
Mauricio Pochettino’s team has always been admired for its style of football, but not necessarily its ability to close out games or indeed titles. England’s stunning win over Spain in the UEFA Nations League featured four Spurs stars, and each of them played a big part in the game management.
While Harry Kane didn’t score, he was instrumental in providing two assists as well as a lot of space for his striking partners. This was a proper Number 9 performance: holding the ball up well, using his physicality and finding team-mates in goal-scoring positions. The goals will come.
Harry Winks was lively and industrious, using the ball well and looking every bit an international player. Kieran Trippier is now established as one of the world’s finest attacking wing-backs. But the moment of the night came from defensive midfielder Eric Dier who left his mark on the great Sergio Ramos with a crunching tackle.
Pochettino was proud of his players, saying: “I think they were brilliant, we were talking today about how the attitude was amazing.”
But can they do it in the unforgiving Premier League? Before the international break, Spurs only narrowly beat relegation favourites Cardiff, and Lionel Messi showed how far they still have to come to be seen as a world-class team in the Champions League.
Christian Eriksen, one player who has shown he can consistently deliver at the highest level, has been out injured for almost a month. The good news for Poch is that the Danish wizard should be fit to play on Saturday.
History
This is a clash between two teams in good form, with just a single defeat for each in the last five matches.
The recent head-to-heads have been well-contested with two wins apiece and a draw in the last five. Spurs have had the better overall with 23 wins to the Hammers’ 15 and nine draws.
Betting tip
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West Ham United vs Tottenham Hotspur | Draw 1X2 @ 3.50 |
| October 20, 22:00 (GMT+8) |
With West Ham at 3.85 and Spurs at 1.90, this looks like an uphill task for the hosts. But if their big players at either end of the pitch perform, then they will be right in the game. The Hammers will also hope that the heroics of Spurs’ England players may have taken something out of them and that Eriksen is not yet back to his devastating best.
If you’re looking at the SBOBET odds for an alternative, then the double chance, West Ham or Draw might tempt you at 1.83.
That’s a better idea if you’re a Hammers fan, of course! Head or heart…it’s up to you.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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