Barclays Premier League
White Hart Lane
Sunday 9 March
3pm
Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside)
WHUTV - Pre-match press conference, plus live commentary to come
WESTHAM.WAP.COM - All the news, on the move
Introduction
* West Ham United, tenth in the Barclays Premier League, travel to Tottenham Hotspur with the chance of extending their lead on the eleventh-placed club to eleven points.
* Alan Curbishley's men go into his 50th top-flight game in charge of the club determined to bounce back from successive 4-0 defeats by Chelsea and Liverpool on Saturday and Wednesday respectively. Tottenham also conceded four in their last league outing, a 4-1 reverse at Birmingham City last weekend. They followed that with a 1-0 home defeat by PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Cup last-16 first leg on Thursday.
* West Ham United have not won at White Hart Lane since a 2-1 victory secured by Ian Wright and Marc Keller on 24 April 1999.
* Both clubs will stay in the same positions, regardless of what happens this weekend although a victory would move Curbishley's side to within a point of Portsmouth in ninth position.
* The clubs also met in the 29th game of the 2006/07 season, at the Boleyn Ground, when a late Paul Stalteri winner gave Spurs a 4-3 victory. Despite the defeat, the match sparked a run of seven wins from the final nine games.
* Ashton and Zamora, along with youth-team sensation Freddie Sears, all played in a 3-1 reserve-team victory away to Tottenham back on 25 February. Sears scored twice and made the other for Ashton in a game played at Leyton Orient.
* Speaking to WHUTV, West Ham United defender Anton Ferdinand said: "These games hurt you know," he said. "I can only talk for myself but the last two games have hurt me and we have got to get it back. There is no better game to go into for me personally, with the rivalry that we have got, than Spurs on Sunday ... knowing the rivalry this is where we are going to see who is going to step up to the plate."
Last match
Liverpool 4-0 West Ham United (5 March): Green, Neill, Ferdinand, Upson (Spector 63), McCartney, Solano (Ashton 69), Mullins, Noble, Ljungberg, Boa Morte, Cole (Zamora 69)
Subs not used: Wright, Pantsil
Goals: Torres 8, 61, 81, Gerrard 83
Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 PSV Eindhoven (6 March): Robinson, Chimbonda, Woodgate, King (Taarabt 73), Gilberto (O'Hara 46), Lennon, Jenas (Huddlestone 64), Zokora, Malbranque, Berbatov, Keane.
Subs not used: Cerny, Lee, Tainio, Dawson
Goals: Farfan 33.
Team news
* In addition to the matchday 16 that faced Liverpool, Alan Curbishley hopes to have Scott Parker in contention for the first time since the win against Manchester United on 29 December. Parker, who picked up a knee injury unrelated to the previous problem in the summer when Cristiano Ronaldo fell on him accidentally, has been back in training for the past fortnight.
* Also in with a shout are some in-form youngsters from the reserves - namely Kyel Reid, Jack Collison and Sears who all travelled to Anfield. The 18-year-old homegrown Hammers fan Sears scored his 25th goal in 24 matches at U18 and reserve-team level at the weekend while reserve-team captain Collison, 19, is a Welsh Under-21 midfielder while Reid, 20, is a promising left winger. The 18-year-old centre-back James Tomkins has been sidelined of late with a groin problem.
* Ever-present Matthew Upson is rated 50-50 after picking up a calf injury just after the hour against Liverpool. Jonathan Spector, who came on his place, could get the nod to start.
* Fit-again after a long-term knee injury that has kept him out since 28 August, Bobby Zamora got the last 25 minutes against Chelsea and then 21 minutes off the bench at Liverpool. He had previously played in three official reserve-team matches, scoring three goals. Dean Ashton also played for 21 minutes against Liverpool and is also itching for a starting berth.
* Julien Faubert is out again after picking up a knock last weekend in a challenge by Chelsea's Claude Makelele. He had started the two previous games. Nolberto Solano replaced him at Liverpool and could keep his place.
* Lee Bowyer and Matthew Etherington (both groin) did not travel to Merseyside, although the former is back in training.
* Kieron Dyer also continues to make progress from his double leg-break. James Collins (cruciate knee ligaments) and Calum Davenport (neck) will not return this season.
* Craig Bellamy has had an abdominal strengthening operation and has been ruled out until April at the earliest. Danny Gabbidon (groin) is also some way off a first-team return as is Nigel Quashie (foot), who has not played since these teams met on 4 March 2007.
* For Spurs, Jermaine Jenas looks set to be out for some time after being carried off against PSV with an ankle injury. Tottenham may also be without Gilberto, a debutant on Thursday, after he was substituted with a calf problem. Alan Hutton returns to contention after being cup-tied but Darren Bent has been affected of late by illness. Benoit Assou-Ekotto (knee) and Gareth Bale (foot) are both long-term absentees.
Background
* After 28 games last season, West Ham United had half the points (20) they have achieved from the same number of matches this campaign (40).
* Prior to the Chelsea defeat, the club had been unbeaten in the last six matches at the Boleyn Ground.
* Alan Curbishley's side are in good overall league form, with eight wins and six draws from the last 20 fixtures.
* West Ham United and Tottenham last met on Sunday 25 November at the Boleyn Ground. Carlton Cole put the home side in front on 20 minutes before Michael Dawson equalised on 67 minutes. Jermain Defoe, now with Portsmouth, saw an added-time penalty saved by Robert Green.
The lineups were:
West Ham United: Green, Neill (c), Gabbidon, Upson, McCartney, Solano (Spector 81), Noble (Parker 63), Mullins, Etherington, Boa Morte (Boa Morte 72), Cole
Subs not used: Wright, Collins
Tottenham Hotspur: Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul (Bent 54), Bale, Malbranque, Zokora, Jenas, Lennon, Berbatov, Keane (c) (Defoe 78)
Subs not used: Cerny, Lee, Boateng
* Last season's meeting at White Hart Lane fell on 22 October 2006 when Mido struck the only goal of the game on 45 minutes. It was also notable as it was Green's debut for West Ham United.
* The Hammers have still not lost in all 14 league games this season when they have taken the lead.
* Despite shipping eight goals in the last two games, West Ham United's away defensive record is still the best in the division outside of the top five clubs.
* Robert Green has kept eight clean sheets in 26 league games.
* Jon Spector turned 22 with the visit of Chelsea. Mark Noble made his 50th appearance for West Ham United in the same game.
* George McCartney is bidding to make his 35th appearance this season in all competitions. He has not missed a match since the 4-3 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur on 4 March 2007 - 43 games ago.
* McCartney is the only West Ham United player who has featured in every league and cup game to date, starting in each one.
* In terms of the Premier League, only Green has played every minute of the 28 matches after fellow ever-present Upson was forced off with a calf strain against Liverpool.
* Carlton Cole is two cautions away from a ban after his eighth yellow card of the season at Liverpool, when Lucas Neill and Mark Noble each picked up their fifth. The 'one-match ban for five cautions' rule was for all yellow cards up to the end of February. However, a player receiving ten cautions before the end of the second Sunday in April will be suspended for two matches, starting seven days after the tenth offence.
* Tottenham have no player who has played in every Premier League game this season.
* Ashton, with six goals, five in the league, is the club's leading scorer. Robbie Keane has 20 goals for Tottenham, 12 in the league, while Dimitar Berbatov has 17, ten of which have come in domestic top-flight action.
* Calum Davenport, Matthew Etherington and Bobby Zamora all played for Tottenham but only the latter could feature this weekend. Zamora was at White Hart Lane between July 2004 and February 2005 before his switch to east London as part of the Jermain Defoe transfer. He made seven league and cup starts, and eleven substitute appearances. His only goal was an extra time winner against the Hammers in a League Cup third-round tie on 29 October 2003.
* West Ham United will next be in action on Saturday 15 March when they welcome Blackburn Rovers the day before Tottenham go to Manchester City. Before then, Spurs make the return trip to PSV on Wednesday.
Head to head (last six Barclays Premier League meetings)
25 November 2007 - West Ham United 1-1 Tottenham Hotspurs
4 March 2007 - West Ham United 3-4 Tottenham Hotspur
22 October 2006 - Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 West Ham United
7 May 2006 - West Ham United 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
20 November 2005 - Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 West Ham United
1 March 2003 - West Ham United 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Overall record v Tottenham (all competitions): W 43, D 34, L 52
General information
Tickets: Please note this match is SOLD OUT. For ticket information, click here. For details of getting to White Hart Lane, click here
Weather: The forecast is for an overcast afternoon with the temperature is set to peak at around 10C.