Julen Lopetegui has named an unchanged West Ham United team for Saturday’s Premier League derby at Tottenham Hotspur.
The Head Coach has kept the faith in the same starting XI that faced Ipswich Town before the international break and recorded our first home win of the campaign, and will now hope to build on that momentum as they make the short trip north to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Undefeated away from home in the Premier League this season, Lopetegui’s charges will be focused on claiming a third top-flight victory of 2024/25 and evoke the spirit of the victory in N17 in December 2023, when Jarrod Bowen’s 50th goal for the Club and James Ward-Prowse’s low finish saw the Irons come from a goal down to defeat Spurs 2-1.
The hosts’ start to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign to date is the club's worst since the 2008/09 season, having picked up just ten points after seven games. Defeats by Newcastle United and rivals Arsenal, as well as a 3-2 loss away at Brighton & Hove Albion after being 2-0 up at half-time last time out, have raised question-marks again.
Lopetegui sticks with a back four, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo, Maximilian Kilman and Emerson tasked with stopping the visitors.
In front of them, Argentina international Guido Rodríguez maintains his ever-present record in Lopetegui’s Premier League lineup.
The Argentinean will have Tomáš Souček and Lucas Paquetá in a double pivot in front of him. The Czech, who has mastered the art of scoring in big moments, stepped up to be the West Ham hero for the second time this season in the 1-1 draw at Brentford, and will hoping for another landmark goal in Claret and Blue on his 167th Premier League appearance.
Elsewhere, captain Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus will operate on either flank. The Ghanaian notched his first of the Premier League season against the Tractor Boys and will want to add further goals to his tally.
Michail Antonio is synonymous with leading the West Ham line this season. The Irons’ record Premier League goalscorer became the first player to reach 100 direct Premier League goal involvements at Brentford, before chalking up his first goal of the season against Ipswich.
Midfielder Edson Álvarez could make his 50th appearance in Claret and Blue off the substitutes' bench.
Alongside Álvarez on the bench will be goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański, defenders Aaron Cresswell, Vladimír Coufal and Dinos Mavropanos, midfielders Carlos Soler and Luis Guilherme and forwards Crysencio Summerville and Danny Ings.
Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario, Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie, Bissouma, Maddison, Johnson, Son ©, Kulusevski, Solanke
Subs: Forster (GK), Spence, Dragusin, Moore, Bentancur, Sarr, Gray, Bergvall, Werner
West Ham United: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson, Rodríguez, Paquetá, Souček, Bowen ©, Kudus, Antonio
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Cresswell, Coufal, Mavropanos, Álvarez, Soler, Luis Guilherme, Summerville, Ings
Referee: Andy Madley
