Tottenham V West Ham United FC

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to keep pace with the Premier League front-runners when they play host to capital foes West Ham United on Sunday.

Spurs have dropped just five points in their opening six fixtures and sit just two adrift of arch-rivals Arsenal - who continue to set the pace.

If other results were to go their way, there is a chance that Andre Villas-Boas' side will end the weekend at the top-flight summit.

Picking up another positive result will be of greater concern than league standings, though, with Spurs looking to preserve a fine defensive record which has seen them breached just twice so far.

Unlocking that door is the challenge facing West Ham, and they desperately need to find a winning formula.

The Hammers have not tasted a league success since the opening day of the season, with two points collected from the last 15 on offer.

Luck has not been on their side, and they have picked up three clean sheets, but an inability to grind out results has left them perched just above the bottom three and in need of a boost.

Paul Merson's prediction

With the way Tottenham are playing I can only go for a home win. If there hadn't been a half-time whistle last week they'd have become real title contenders in my mind.

They didn't create a lorry-load of chances in the first half against Chelsea, but they looked very comfortable indeed. Chelsea turned it on in the second half, but I expect Spurs to beat a West Ham team that is struggling with no Andy Carroll. Kevin Nolan loses a lot of impetus when the big striker is not in the team and I don't see them hurting Tottenham.

PAUL PREDICTS: 3-0

 Yids

Tottenham, as expected, made a number of changes for Thursday's Europa League clash with Anzhi Makhachkala and are likely to rotate again when they return to domestic action.

Younes Kaboul picked up a knock in Russia and is doubtful for weekend duty, meaning he will join Etienne Capoue (ankle) and Aaron Lennon (ankle) on the sidelines.

Jermain Defoe was among the goals again against Anzhi, but Villas-Boas has confirmed that he is likely to be benched against his former employers on Sunday - with Roberto Soldado drafted back in

West ham United FC

West Ham will welcome Joe Cole back into their ranks following a hamstring complaint.

The experienced playmaker is, however, lacking in match fitness and Sam Allardyce has announced that he may have to settle for a place among the substitutes.

Andy Carroll remains a long-term absentee with a heel problem and Alou Diarra could miss the remainder of the season with knee ligament damage.

someone needs to send a lasagne into the spurts dressing room so they can have a pre match meal

Someone needs to send a rocket for every player in our dressing room to get their arse in gear

I will be mostly avoiding hearing about this game tomorrow !

 

Positive thinking dude

 COME ON YOU IRONS!!  
I'm at work why aren't they!!

I am going to try and avoid this, but might have a sneaky peek. 

What Channel is it on?

Blakey wrote:I am going to try and avoid this, but might have a sneaky peek. 

What Channel is it on?

It's not on TV bus dude. Only a 1600 Sunday kick off as Spurs played in the second rate European competition on Thursday night

Its on the Box over here not that I,m looking forward to it

I still haven't decided if I will watch this game or not , I know that me personally would consider any think less then a 3-0 loss a brilliant result when look at the two teams !

To be honest if I were BFS I would go out and play for a draw as that to me is the best we can realistically hope for out of today`s game
4-5-1
Jussi,O`Brien,Reid,Collins,Rat,Downing,Noble,Diame,Nolan,Jarvis,Maiga
SUBS:Adrian,Tomkins,Taylor,RVT,Petric,E.Lee,Morrison


Come on you Hammers surprise us all and beat Spurs !!

Irritatingly as it's a short journey from King's Cross St Pancras to Seven Sisters, the fast line from Kent to St Pancras is closed today, so I have to go into Victoria. My team today would be:

Jaaskelainen
Demel, Tomkins, Reid, Rat
Diame, Noble, Nolan
Morrison, Vaz Te, Downing

Subs:
Adrian, O'Brien, Collins, Cole, Jarvis, Maiga, Petric.

I think we need Diame back in the middle today, with Morrison further forward. As I said in my Hull comments, Vaz Te has to start and I would leave Jarvis out so we are not only reliant on crosses into the box - Dawson will eat them up whoever we are playing up front. Tough call to leave out O'Brien as I'm not a Demel fan and Joey never lets us down. I'd stick with Tomka too so we can keep the ball a little better when we have it.

I hope for a 1-1 draw and for our supporters not to be as idiotic as they were last year. The 4pm kick-off worries me from that point of view.

for all those going to the lane......
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SING UP PEEPS!   :party: 

To me as wrong as it is and hope it`s not the case and that BOTH sets of fans are well behaved before/during and after the game but I believe the Police and the FA are asking for trouble when everybody knows the trouble their has been in previous matches against the two side`s by putting it a 4pm kick off !?!?

if it doesnt kick off at some stage either in or out of the ground i will be amazed  

Mr Miagi dropped to the bench at long fuckin last!!!!!!  

Sam has seen the light

Not sure about dropping O'Brien but fully agree that dropping Jarvis and Maiga is a good decision.

all the radio stations are saying diame is playing up front!!!!!   even bfs cant be THAT stupid can he?? can he??  

Would think that RVT is upfront and not Diame but saying that Diame would do better job upfront then what Maiga would do

radio comm must be mistaken, has to be vaz up front

5 live,talksport and official comms are all saying diame up front

   

sounds like everyone is taking a turn upfront