The Premier League returns this weekend with a series of entertaining fixtures, but of course, things are a little bit more tense than usual with the end of the season approaching. There’s still so much that needs to be worked out, and that can only mean good things when it comes to the quality of the games we’re going to get. It’s an exciting time to be a fan and there’s no real way of getting around that, but of course, if you’re a fan of one of the teams involved then it’s going to get pretty stressful in the next few weeks.

The game we’re going to be focusing on today will be contested between two London-based sides who, to be honest, aren’t massive fans of one another. It’s not like they have a burning rivalry that exceeds their relationships with Arsenal and Millwall respectively, but it’s certainly notable. These teams are going to be doing everything within their respective powers to make the most of their opportunity this weekend, because while it’s a game that’ll mean more to one than the other, we’re still convinced that it’s going to provide us with the kind of action that makes for an elite game of football.

Tottenham Hotspur will be coming into this encounter knowing one thing above all else: third place is there for the taking, and their spot in the top four is going to be quite secure if they’re able to register the three points. With a Champions League semi final against Ajax right around the corner their priorities could quite easily shift between now and then, especially given the size of their squad. Still, whatever happens, it’s difficult not to praise Mauricio Pochettino for the job that he’s been able to do up to this point.

West Ham’s hopes of qualifying for the Europa League have been dashed in the last few weeks, as they’ve been unable to sustain the momentum that they had built up for themselves. It’s still been a solid enough campaign given how poorly they started off, but even with that being the case, Hammers fans will want even more now that they’ve had a taste of European football (from a few years ago). They’re more than good enough to rise up the league table, but it isn’t going to happen this season, which should make their preparations for next year very interesting.

Tottenham’s last six games have served as a rollercoaster ride, with half of them coming against the same team. They kicked off April with a nice 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, before they shocked the world with a nice 1-0 first leg Champions League win over Manchester City. They then tore through an already relegated Huddersfield with ruthless efficiency, sticking four past the Terriers. Their UCL second leg against City ended in a 4-3 loss, but courtesy of away goals, they went through in the most dramatic manner imaginable. They then lost to City in the league, but made up for it with a narrow 1-0 triumph over Brighton.

West Ham, on the other hand, have played much less frequently than Spurs – starting off with a 2-0 loss to Cardiff. They went on to win a dramatic 4-3 classic against Huddersfield, but then, their Europa League hopes came crashing back down to earth. They lost three games in a row against Everton, Chelsea and Manchester United, although they remained pretty competitive throughout. In their last outing, at home to Leicester City, they shared four goals with the Foxes in what can only be described as the most entertaining game of the weekend (in our opinion).

The overall head to head standings have Tottenham leading 96-63 with 52 draws, which is the kind of dominance that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to the masses. Interestingly enough their latest two encounters came within the space of just 11 days of one another back in October, and unfortunately for Hammers fans, things didn’t go all too well. Spurs edged out a narrow yet entertaining 1-0 win in the Premier League, and then in the League Cup, they also won 3-1. West Ham will be out for revenge, but you have to wonder how much they’ve improved since then in comparison to Pochettino’s men.

It’s hardly a surprise that the biggest loss for Tottenham is Harry Kane, who looks set to miss the remainder of the season. Aurier and Sissoko are also going to be out of action for the game against West Ham, whereas Lamela and Winks will both be assessed by the club’s doctors prior to kickoff. The expectation is that Dier is going to come into the starting XI for Victor Wanyama, with Pochettino having one eye on the semi final next week. Son will almost certainly start given that he is suspended for the first leg against Ajax.

Jack Wilshere was able to return against Leicester last week and will be hoping to make an impact against the club that perhaps hate him the most. Hernandez and Cresswell are set to be assessed before kickoff which is the same position Samir Nasri finds himself in, and again, he’ll probably receive an interesting reaction from the Tottenham faithful given his association to Arsenal. Yarmolenko, Carroll, Lanzini and Reid are all going to miss out as we already knew, but there could be a spanner thrown into the mix in the form of a potential Carlos Sanchez return.

Tottenham vs West Ham Betting Prediction

West Ham are a tough team for anyone to face, and we won’t have anyone say otherwise. They may not be the biggest and most well-rounded team in the division but they’ve given some major sides problems, with Manchester United being a prime example. However, at this stage, Tottenham just seem to be on a roll and they seem way too focused. We can see them scoring pretty early on, soaking up any pressure thrown in their direction, and then going on to score a couple more as they continue their surge for third.

We aren’t quite ready to suggest that Tottenham’s stadium is a fortress or anything like that at this stage, but if they can continue to pick up some positive results, that may end up changing. They seem to be really confident in their own abilities at their new home and that’s definitely translating into their performances on the pitch, so who knows how much further they could take this thing. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but a win here would put them in a great position as we gear up for a dramatic end to the Premier League season.

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