WhoScored.com take a detailed look at how Sunday's London derby could pan out
West Ham United head to White Hart Lane looking to score a third consecutive win at the home of rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
However, Spurs have been in good form in recent weeks and will be a difficult nut to crack on home turf.
The stage is set for a competitive Sunday lunchtime London derby.
However, Spurs have been in good form in recent weeks and will be a difficult nut to crack on home turf.
The stage is set for a competitive Sunday lunchtime London derby.
West Ham United
West Ham United have teamed up with football stats website WhoScored.com to preview Sunday’s Barclays Premier League meeting with Tottenham Hotspur.
The Hammers will look to replicate the performance from when these two teams met in the Premier League at White Hart Lane last season, when they came away with a 3-0 win. The east London side have lost only one of their last four meetings with Spurs at White Hart Lane and their decent form in north London should spur West Ham on in Sunday’s early kick-off.
Mark Noble played a key role in this fixture last term, earning a WhoScored.com rating of 7.67. A similarly efficient display will go a long way to helping West Ham come away with the points. Spurs come into the meeting on the back of a tough UEFA Europa League tie at home to Fiorentina, which could hinder their chances of securing victory in this London derby.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side play six competitive fixtures over 17 days, which started with Thursday’s 1-1 draw and fatigue could be a determining factor when West Ham make the sure trip across the capital.
Noble is renowned for his energy levels and his physical attributes will help disrupt Spurs’ rhythm on Sunday.
In 16 league appearances, the 27-year-old has gained a statistically calculated WhoScored.com strength of ‘tackling’ – he has made 41 successful tackles this season – and this aspect of his game could be crucial against Spurs.
West Ham’s London rivals have begun to find form under Pochettino, so curbing their influence in the midfield third is essential if the Hammers are to repeat last season's feat.
Noble’s ball-winning ability in this area of the pitch – he has also made 32 inteceptions and blocked 15 attempted opposition passes – could help limit the influence of key creator Christian Eriksen, which in turn can ease the pressure on the West Ham defence. He can also drive the team forward from midfield, in the process improving their goalscoring chances.
Noble also possesses the highest pass-completion percentage of any of West Ham’s regular starters with 84.8% - narrowly ahead of fellow midfielder Stewart Downing.
West Ham may come into this fixture as underdogs, but if Sam Allardyce’s players perform to their potential, they have the ability to secure victory. Noble’s energy and tenacity will be crucial in the encounter, both from an offensive and defensive viewpoint.
*WhoScored.com is a website and one of the fastest growing in the sports industry, specialising in the in-depth analysis of detailed football data. Follow @WhoScored on Twitter.
West Ham United have teamed up with football stats website WhoScored.com to preview Sunday’s Barclays Premier League meeting with Tottenham Hotspur.
The Hammers will look to replicate the performance from when these two teams met in the Premier League at White Hart Lane last season, when they came away with a 3-0 win. The east London side have lost only one of their last four meetings with Spurs at White Hart Lane and their decent form in north London should spur West Ham on in Sunday’s early kick-off.
Mark Noble played a key role in this fixture last term, earning a WhoScored.com rating of 7.67. A similarly efficient display will go a long way to helping West Ham come away with the points. Spurs come into the meeting on the back of a tough UEFA Europa League tie at home to Fiorentina, which could hinder their chances of securing victory in this London derby.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side play six competitive fixtures over 17 days, which started with Thursday’s 1-1 draw and fatigue could be a determining factor when West Ham make the sure trip across the capital.
Noble is renowned for his energy levels and his physical attributes will help disrupt Spurs’ rhythm on Sunday.
In 16 league appearances, the 27-year-old has gained a statistically calculated WhoScored.com strength of ‘tackling’ – he has made 41 successful tackles this season – and this aspect of his game could be crucial against Spurs.
West Ham’s London rivals have begun to find form under Pochettino, so curbing their influence in the midfield third is essential if the Hammers are to repeat last season's feat.
Noble’s ball-winning ability in this area of the pitch – he has also made 32 inteceptions and blocked 15 attempted opposition passes – could help limit the influence of key creator Christian Eriksen, which in turn can ease the pressure on the West Ham defence. He can also drive the team forward from midfield, in the process improving their goalscoring chances.
Noble also possesses the highest pass-completion percentage of any of West Ham’s regular starters with 84.8% - narrowly ahead of fellow midfielder Stewart Downing.
West Ham may come into this fixture as underdogs, but if Sam Allardyce’s players perform to their potential, they have the ability to secure victory. Noble’s energy and tenacity will be crucial in the encounter, both from an offensive and defensive viewpoint.
*WhoScored.com is a website and one of the fastest growing in the sports industry, specialising in the in-depth analysis of detailed football data. Follow @WhoScored on Twitter.
Tottenham Hotspur
The possible lineup
The formation
Mauricio Pochettino is a massive fan of the 4-2-3-1 formation, having used it in 23 of the 25 Barclays Premier League matches since he took charge at Tottenham Hotspur last summer.
As is often the case with this system, Spurs’ full-backs fly forward at every opportunity to support the attack, with the speedy, athletic Kyle Walker and Danny Rose possessing ideal physical attributes for that role.
Spurs’ possession game is based around the deep-lying midfielders collecting the ball from the back four and playing the ball forward or wide with short, accurate passes.
The three attacking midfielders and mobile centre forward Harry Kane are not afraid to interchange positions to find space.
The playing style
Pochettino has become famed for his aggressive pressing game, which sees his players work hard to close down space inside the opposition half of the field.
Tottenham have got better and better at this as the season has gone one, and the team is now adept at stealing the ball from their opponents all over the pitch.
However, the pressing game and a preference for playing an offside trap can leave them short-handed at the back if teams pick their way through them or counter-attack at pace. If you get past Spurs’ five-man midfield, you can create chances against them, for sure.
In possession, Spurs like to play their football in the attacking third if they can, probing for openings with quick passes, movement and through balls, as well as pieces of individual skill.
Spurs are also never shy when it comes to letting fly from outside the box, with Danish star Christian Eriksen and Kane particularly accurate when it comes to finding the bottom corners, so Adrian will have to be alert.
The players
With a packed fixture list that still includes the UEFA Europa League and next Sunday’s League Cup final, Pochettino has rotated his squad often this season.
Aside from Eriksen and outstanding France international goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, no Spurs player has started more than 20 league matches this season.
The number of matches and an indifferent start to the season saw the Argentine chop and change in search of a reliable starting XI in the league and he seems to have found his chosen personnel.
Lloris will start in goal behind a back four of Walker, Rose, Portuguese-raised English youngster Eric Dier and Belgian Jan Vertonghen, the centre-backs being preferred to the bigger, more physical Federico Fazio and Younes Kaboul.
In midfield, youth is also favoured over experience, with Algerian Bentaleb and Academy product Joe Mason the regular starters in front of the back four ahead of Brazil’s Paulinho and Frenchmen Benjamin Stambouli and Etienne Capoue. Both are neat in possession and do not mind putting in a tackle.
Further forward, Eriksen will start on the left of the three attacking midfielders ahead of Belgian Nacer Chadli. Eriksen is a fine all-round attacking midfielder and has developed a knack for scoring late goals this season.
Aaron Lennon has been loaned to Everton, enabling Erik Lamela and Andros Townsend to battle for the right wing berth. Lamela is skilful and elusive, while Townsend is direct and never afraid to shoot from any distance.
Moussa Dembele has forced his way back into the starting XI. Another Belgium international, Dembele is strong, deceptively quick and can drift past opposition players seemingly at ease.
Up front, Kane has beaten out Spaniard Roberto Soldado and Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor for the starting place. An outstanding centre forward, the 21-year-old can finish with head or either foot, runs well with the ball at his feet and works hard for his team.
The possible lineup
Lloris
Walker Dier Vertonghen Rose
Bentaleb Mason
Lamela Dembele Eriksen
Walker Dier Vertonghen Rose
Bentaleb Mason
Lamela Dembele Eriksen
Kane
The formation
Mauricio Pochettino is a massive fan of the 4-2-3-1 formation, having used it in 23 of the 25 Barclays Premier League matches since he took charge at Tottenham Hotspur last summer.
As is often the case with this system, Spurs’ full-backs fly forward at every opportunity to support the attack, with the speedy, athletic Kyle Walker and Danny Rose possessing ideal physical attributes for that role.
Spurs’ possession game is based around the deep-lying midfielders collecting the ball from the back four and playing the ball forward or wide with short, accurate passes.
The three attacking midfielders and mobile centre forward Harry Kane are not afraid to interchange positions to find space.
The playing style
Pochettino has become famed for his aggressive pressing game, which sees his players work hard to close down space inside the opposition half of the field.
Tottenham have got better and better at this as the season has gone one, and the team is now adept at stealing the ball from their opponents all over the pitch.
However, the pressing game and a preference for playing an offside trap can leave them short-handed at the back if teams pick their way through them or counter-attack at pace. If you get past Spurs’ five-man midfield, you can create chances against them, for sure.
In possession, Spurs like to play their football in the attacking third if they can, probing for openings with quick passes, movement and through balls, as well as pieces of individual skill.
Spurs are also never shy when it comes to letting fly from outside the box, with Danish star Christian Eriksen and Kane particularly accurate when it comes to finding the bottom corners, so Adrian will have to be alert.
The players
With a packed fixture list that still includes the UEFA Europa League and next Sunday’s League Cup final, Pochettino has rotated his squad often this season.
Aside from Eriksen and outstanding France international goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, no Spurs player has started more than 20 league matches this season.
The number of matches and an indifferent start to the season saw the Argentine chop and change in search of a reliable starting XI in the league and he seems to have found his chosen personnel.
Lloris will start in goal behind a back four of Walker, Rose, Portuguese-raised English youngster Eric Dier and Belgian Jan Vertonghen, the centre-backs being preferred to the bigger, more physical Federico Fazio and Younes Kaboul.
In midfield, youth is also favoured over experience, with Algerian Bentaleb and Academy product Joe Mason the regular starters in front of the back four ahead of Brazil’s Paulinho and Frenchmen Benjamin Stambouli and Etienne Capoue. Both are neat in possession and do not mind putting in a tackle.
Further forward, Eriksen will start on the left of the three attacking midfielders ahead of Belgian Nacer Chadli. Eriksen is a fine all-round attacking midfielder and has developed a knack for scoring late goals this season.
Aaron Lennon has been loaned to Everton, enabling Erik Lamela and Andros Townsend to battle for the right wing berth. Lamela is skilful and elusive, while Townsend is direct and never afraid to shoot from any distance.
Moussa Dembele has forced his way back into the starting XI. Another Belgium international, Dembele is strong, deceptively quick and can drift past opposition players seemingly at ease.
Up front, Kane has beaten out Spaniard Roberto Soldado and Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor for the starting place. An outstanding centre forward, the 21-year-old can finish with head or either foot, runs well with the ball at his feet and works hard for his team.