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Spurs face both internal squabble and West Ham at home


Bangladeshpost
Published : 22 Nov 2019 08:26 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 09:17 PM

West Ham is welcomed by Tottenham amidst internal drama as they change their coach, agencies report.

West Ham are set to continue with Roberto in goal despite a series of errors in his previous matches as Lukasz Fabianski is not due to be back until the end of December. Manuel Lanzini looks set to be out for a while as well after breaking his collarbone against Burnley.

Captain Mark Noble also injured his ankle in that game, but will be hoping to come back for Saturday's derby match. In more positive news for Hammers fans, Michail Antonio is expected to be back along with Jack Wilshere. Jose Mourinho has a lengthy injury list to contend with in his first game in charge, as Jan Vertonghen, Erik Lamela and Hugo Lloris will all be out.

Record signing Tanguy Ndombélé is also a doubt after he picked up a groin problem in the 1-1 draw with Sheffield United that turned out to be Pochettino's last game. 

Mourinho does love turning wingers into full-backs, and with Ryan Sessegnon that's already been done for him, so expect to see the England youngster feature.

Spurs have tended to come out on top in this derby in the past, winning 96 games to West Ham's 64. There have been 52 draws between the pair.

Last season they met three times - twice in the league and once in the Carabao Cup fourth round. 

Spurs came out on top in the Cup match and their away league fixture whilst West Ham won 1-0 at the London Stadium in April.

The argument that Spurs were right to sack Mauricio Pochettino stems from their appalling form under the Argentinian in 2019. 

Despite reaching the Champions League final, they haven't won an away league game since January, and haven't won a Premier League game at all since the end of September, leaving them in 14th position. 

They were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two Colchester, and lost 7-2 to Bayern Munich at home in the Champions League.

West Ham's form hasn't been much better in recent times. Since Lukasz Fabianski was ruled out for two months with a hip injury at the end of September the Hammers haven't won a single league game or kept a clean sheet.

They are two places below their visitors in 16th, and if Manuel Pellegrini doesn't turn things around soon, he could be facing a similar fate to Pochettino.

This one is almost impossible to call. With both sides in such terrible form it probably would've been easy to go for a boring 0-0 draw.

But like him or loathe him Jose Mourinho is a man who gets results and you would have to back him to have an immediate impact against an out of sorts West Ham side.