Tottenham Hotspur Vs West Ham: Match Thread

[chrissivad]

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Tottenham Hotspur Vs West Ham
Barclays Premier League
Venue: White Hart Lane Date: Saturday, 19 March Kick-off: 1245 GMT
Coverage: Watch live on Sky Sports 2 and highlights on Match of the Day; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and local radio; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles ​

For more on live coverage please visitGeez's Live Media Thread
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Spurs host London-rivals

Saturday's early kick-off is a capital showdown as West Ham travel across London to face Tottenham at White Hart Lane.
The game could have huge ramifications for both clubs, with three points very much a must for each side.
Harry Redknapp faces his former club, looking for his current side Spurs to go level with fourth placed Chelsea.
West Ham are currently sitting third from bottom in the Premier League, so points are obviously in desperate need for the Hammers.
But history is not on West Ham's side as they have not won at White Hart Lane since 1999.
Should West Ham seal victory, they could in theory move as high as 12th with a win - which shows just how close the bottom of the Premier League is.
Team news

Tottenham are almost certain to welcome back Gareth Bale to their starting line-up.
The Welsh ace has not started a game since the end of January but he is now fit again and should face West Ham.
Redknapp will wait until Saturday morning before deciding on William Gallas, who picked up a hamstring injury earlier in the week.
Jermain Defoe will also be hoping for a recall to face his former club.
West Ham welcome back Gary O'Neil into the their squad as he was cup-tied for their match with Stoke last week.
However, they also lose Robbie Keane as he is ineligible to face Tottenham as he is on loan and cannot face his parent club.
Fredi Piquionne is also a doubt after limping out of last's week match at Stoke, but he should be fit to start.

Possible starting XI:

Form guide:
Tottenham: WWWLD
West Ham: WLDWW

Injuries:
Tottenham: Huddlestone, Kaboul, Palacios, Woodgate
West Ham: Collison

Suspensions:
Tottenham:
West Ham:

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Tottenham defender William Gallas is a doubt after pulling up in training on Tuesday, although a scan revealed he has not damaged his hamstring.
Winger Gareth Bale is fit despite a midweek injury scare and may start his first game for two months.

West Ham strikers Demba Ba and Frederic Piquionne are both rated doubtful.

Robbie Keane is fit but is ineligible to face his parent club, while Gary O'Neil returns to the squad after being cup-tied for the FA Cup exit at Stoke. [/SIZE]

Tottenham
Doubtful: Gallas (hamstring)
Injured: Huddlestone (ankle), Kaboul & Palacios (both knee), Woodgate (groin)

West Ham
Doubtful: Ba (unspecified), Piquionne (foot)
Injured/unavailable: Collison & Kurucz (both knee), Keane (ineligible), Stanislas (hernia)

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Having recently beaten off competition from Tottenham to take over the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, West Ham look to rub salt in Spurs' wounds by claiming a first win at White Hart Lane since 1999, when Harry Redknapp was Hammers manager.

The east Londoners did the league double over Tottenham that season, but have lost on seven of their subsequent 10 trips to the Lane in all competitions and have not scored on Spurs' soil since 2005.

However, current Hammers boss Avram Grant has fond memories of facing Tottenham, having masterminded Portsmouth's shock win against them in an FA Cup semi-final last season. Grant's first league victory at West Ham also came against Tottenham, with Frederic Piquionne's header proving decisive when the sides met on 25 September.

This will be Spurs' first Premier League game at White Hart Lane for six weeks. While they produced two superb defensive displays to shut out nine-time European champions AC Milan, Harry Redknapp's side have looked less assured on domestic duty; they conceded six goals in the two league matches sandwiched between the Milan games.

The Spurs defence could be in for another uncomfortable afternoon against a West Ham side that has scored 15 times in their last five league and cup matches.

Head-to-head
• West Ham beat Tottenham 1-0 in September, ending a run of five successive Spurs wins in this fixture.
• The Hammers' last victory at White Hart Lane was a 2-1 win on 24 April 1999. Harry Redknapp was the West Ham manager that day, while the visitors' team sheet included Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard and Ian Wright.

Tottenham
• Spurs have dropped points in five of nine Premier League games which followed Champions League duty. Three of their six league losses this term came off the back of European action, including their only home defeat (against Wigan in August).
• That slip-up against Wigan is their only loss in the last 24 top-flight matches at White Hart Lane. They have won five of their last seven home league games, drawing the other two (against Chelsea and Manchester United).
• Jermain Defoe's brace against Wolves ended his 11-month wait for a top-flight goal. His next strike will be his 100th in the Premier League.
• Harry Redknapp's side have gained an unrivalled 21 Premier League points from losing positions this season.

West Ham
• Demba Ba has scored four goals in three league starts for the Hammers.
• The Hammers have taken 11 points from the last possible 18, as have Tottenham. Only three clubs have better recent records; Arsenal (14), Liverpool and Chelsea (both 13).
• West Ham players have been caught offside 96 times this term, the highest figure in the top flight.


LEADING GOALSCORERS

Tottenham

Van der Vaart: 12 goals (10 league);
Bale: 11 goals (7 league)

West Ham

Cole: 11 goals (5 league); Piquionne: 9 goals (6 league);
Obinna: 8 goals (3 league)

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Mike Dean
Assistant referees: Stephen Child & Darren Bond
Fourth official: Phil Crossley __________________________________________________________________



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[Bails]

COYS!
Massive week

Chelsea v City
Sunderland v Liverpool

A win would take us right up to either City, Chelsea or both
A win would also see us go clear from either Sunderland, Liverpool or Both

It is these kind of weekends we need to take the most of

Just hope the players are not as excited about the CL draw as I am and so can concentrate on winning tomorrow!

 

[strummer]

COYS............... lets do the pikeys - another must win game

 

[Khilari]

great OP. loving the poss line-up pics!

not sure the vdv crouch thing ought to be tried again though. would like to see vdv/defoe given a chance or even vdv-pav. defoe was unlucky to miss out vs milan after his wolves heroics and needs a run to keep up his newfound goalscoring touch

 

[spurs mental]

Loving the possible line up thing Chris. Awesome work as usual, but that's a cool addition. :up:

COYS, I want us to absolutely spank this lot right into oblivion.

 

[cusop]

Losing this game would be a massive step backwards, This is a must won game and we all know it. Histleburger has been a massive improvement for spammers. Our loss earlier in the season was an embarrassment. But we do have Mr Sandro up our sleeves and he will sort there chippy attituDe out

 

[Mr Pink]

I would go as far as saying if we dont win tomorrow top 4 is over, even though it isn't....but these are the games we would look back on in failing to win - if we dont finish top 4.

Everybody knows it - we simply have to win to tomorrow. Even though the Pikeys will be bang up for it their League status doesn't really hings on them winning tomorrow.

Personally I think there will be plenty of goals tomorrow...going for 3-1.

 

[Hot-Spur]

I would go as far as saying if we dont win tomorrow top 4 is over, even though it isn't....but these are the games we would look back on in failing to win - if we dont finish top 4.

Everybody knows it - we simply have to win to tomorrow. Even though the Pikeys will be bang up for it their League status doesn't really hings on them winning tomorrow.

Personally I think there will be plenty of goals tomorrow...going for 3-1.

I think we pretty much have to win all our home games from now on, starting with tomorrow. Feels like months since we last players, the players will be well rested and hopefully come out guns blazing tomorrow, I don't want one of those slow starts :snooty:

 

[Mr Pink]

I think we pretty much have to win all our home games from now on, starting with tomorrow. Feels like months since we last players, the players will be well rested and hopefully come out guns blazing tomorrow, I don't want one of those slow starts :snooty:

Sometimes we've been off the pace in the early kick off games....but like you say we've had a break and hopefully we'll come out of the blocks quickly and put them on the back foot from the off :wink:

 

[Hot-Spur]

Sometimes we've been off the pace in the early kick off games....but like you say we've had a break and hopefully we'll come out of the blocks quickly and put them on the back foot from the off :wink:

That would be nice for all of us, no stress for once

 

[WhiteStripe]

Gonna be my first game of 2011.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Gonna be my first game of 2011.

If you turn out to be bad luck I'm going to crap on your face!

 

[WhiteStripe]

I was there every game last year and am and have been a ST for 10 years. Think I'm ok. Lol.

 

[nightgoat]

Handball!

 

[hans]

had a dream we were winning 1-0 then lost 4-1. There were army soldiers around the pitch hah

 

[ILS]

Defoe will start today and score.

 

[kishman]

Defoe will get his 100th goal for us. Fact.

 

[Azrael]

Really pumped for a win today, just to shove the OS right up their arses.

 

[harrowspurs]

West Ham have been a different side recently,really fighting for every point, and i can see this being a really hard game for us.

If Sandro can keep Parker quiet i think we might just get over the line with a 2-1 win...

Also West Ham can move up into 12th with a win,and they have a very very hard month ahead..

Its not going to be easy,fingers crossed.

 

[Beni]

I really hate West Ham, up there with Arsenal. Really hope its a hammering today.