Preview: West Ham United vs. Tottenham Hotspur - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Sunday’s Premier League clash between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to close the gap on West Ham United and their other top-four rivals when they head to the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Spurs have lost four of their last five Premier League matches – as many as in their previous 28 – and enter this game six points behind West Ham with a game in hand to play.

Match preview

The Europa League can often prove a distraction for teams in Tottenham’s position, but Jose Mourinho will hope that Thursday’s win over Wolfsberger can kickstart his side’s season.

Spurs saw off Austrian side Wolfsberger 4-1 in Budapest thanks to goals from Son Heung-min, Gareth Bale, Lucas Moura and Carlos Vinicius.

Mourinho fielded a mixed XI at the Puskas Arena and his side are now as good as through to the last 16 of the Europa League, with an EFL Cup final also fast approaching.

In the Premier League, however, Spurs are down in ninth place and are six points adrift of the top four, albeit with a game in hand still to play on most of the sides above them.

Defeat to Manchester City last time out was their seventh of the season in the Premier League – only in 2015-16 with Chelsea (nine) has Mourinho lost more in a single campaign.

While Tottenham have struggled for consistency this term, West Ham are enjoying their best top-flight campaign at this stage of a season since 1985-86.

The Hammers beat bottom side Sheffield United 3-0 in midweek to make it 42 points from 24 matches, which is already three more points that they accrued in the whole of 2019-20.

However, West Ham have lost each of their last three home league games against bitter rivals Spurs – their longest losing run at home against them in their league history.

David Moyes also has a poor record against Mourinho, having faced the Portuguese on more occasions in all competitions without winning (15) than he has against any other manager.

That is something Moyes will be looking to put right this weekend to strengthen United’s top-four hopes and all but end Tottenham’s in the process.

West Ham United Premier League form: WWLWDW
West Ham United form (all competitions): WLWDLW

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form: WLLLWL
Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions): LLWLLW

Team News

Michail Antonio has missed West Ham’s last two matches and remains a fitness doubt for Sunday’s clash, but Moyes will give his only senior striker every chance of being available.

Arthur Masuaku, Andriy Yarmolenko and Angelo Ogbonna will definitely play no part for West Ham, while Darren Randolph and Fabian Balbuena are to be assessed.

With a big question mark over Antonio’s availability, Moyes may well stick with the same side that eased past Sheffield United, which would mean Jarrod Bowen leading the attack.

As for Tottenham, Serge Aurier has been ruled out and fellow full-back Sergio Reguilon is also a major fitness doubt, having now missed more than a month.

Giovani Lo Celso is the visitors’ only other confirmed injury or suspension absentee, with Mourinho having plenty of other options to choose from in that position.

After being rested against Wolfsberger on Thursday, the likes of Harry Kane, Steven Bergwijn and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg are expected to return to the starting lineup here.

Kane has scored 11 goals in 15 Premier League games against West Ham – only against Leicester City (14) has he scored more.

West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Fabianski; Diop, Dawson, Cresswell; Coufal, Soucek, Rice, Johnson; Lingard, Lanzini; Bowen

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Tanganga, Alderweireld, Dier, Davies; Sissoko, Hojbjerg; Bergwijn, Ndombele, Son; Kane

We say: West Ham United 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham squandered a three-goal lead with 10 minutes remaining to draw 3-3 in the reverse fixture, and we are predicting another high-scoring fixture on Sunday.

United enter this game in better form than their city rivals, but Mourinho has a great record against opposite number Moyes – an unbeaten run we can see being extended to 16 games.

Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.