Premier League: West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur preview

A look ahead to this weekend's Premier League fixture at Upton Park

Jacob Mignano
Friday 02 May 2014 11:50 BST
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Sam Allardyce in typically furious form on the sideline
Sam Allardyce in typically furious form on the sideline (Getty Images)

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Tottenham travel to West Ham for Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off, with both managers potentially facing two games to save their respective jobs.

Despite his side sitting in sixth and likely to secure a Europa League place, Tim Sherwood has seemingly accepted the inevitability of his departure at the end of the season after hitting out at fellow managers touting for his job.

And Sam Allardyce – whose position almost always seems to be in doubt – has overseen a recent poor run of form, with four consecutive losses in April as the Hammers rather stutter towards Premier League survival.

With their goal difference far better than that of Norwich and Sunderland, the Hammers will know that a point from their final two games should be enough to ensure their safety.

But no team would take greater pleasure in dealing West Ham a fifth straight defeat and leaving them with an anxious wait until the final day of the season than Spurs, who will look to avenge October’s embarrassing 3-0 home defeat in what is always a fiercely contested local derby.

KICK-OFF: Saturday, 12.45pm

PAST THREE MEETINGS…

Tottenham 1 (Adebayor) West Ham 2 (Jarvis, Maiga), Capital One Cup, December 2013

Tottenham 0 West Ham 3 (Reid, Vaz Te, Morrison), Premier League, October 2013

West Ham 2 (Carroll, J Cole) Tottenham 3 (Bale 2, Sigurdsson), Premier League, February 2013

STATS…

In the last three Premier League meetings between the two sides, the winning team has scored three, meaning goals are almost guaranteed whenever West Ham and Tottenham meet.

West Ham have won three of the past six meetings between the sides in all competitions.

If West Ham lose, it will be the first time they have dropped five in a row since 2011 – when they also lost all four of their games in April and their first in May.

Despite their differing league positions, both clubs have shipped 49 goals this season.

Tottenham haven’t lost three straight games to West Ham since losing three on the bounce between 1998 and 1999

ODDS…

West Ham to win: 4.2

Tottenham to win: 1.85

Draw: 3.6

CLASSIC MOMENT/MATCH

In last season’s corresponding fixture Gareth Bale scored with a spectacular 90 minute strike, as Tottenham came from 2-1 down to beat West Ham 3-2 in a game commemorating the 20 anniversary of Bobby Moore’s death.

TV: Live on BT Sport 1 at 12.45pm, highlights on BBC1 at 10.20pm

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