West Ham United face a daunting task on Tuesday night as they welcome North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to the London Stadium. Injuries and suspensions have left the Hammers thin on the ground, particularly at the back.
Edson Alvarez’s suspension and Kalvin Phillips’ recent struggles mean a fragile partnership of Tomas Soucek and James Ward-Prowse is likely to be tasked with containing a high-powered Tottenham attack. This inexperienced pairing inspires little confidence against a team chasing a top-four finish.
While West Ham can find the net, outscoring Spurs seems unlikely based on current form. A repeat performance from last season, where West Ham secured a 2-1 victory over Tottenham, would require a significant dose of local derby spirit and more than a touch of luck.
The team’s biggest weakness lies in its lack of squad depth. The starting line-up may possess top-eight quality, but beyond that, there’s a significant drop-off. This lack of competition for places and questionable squad management decisions raise once again concerns about the manager and board’s strategy.
Despite the odds stacked against the Hammers, a passionate derby atmosphere can always produce unexpected results. We will all be hoping to witness a miraculous upset, but the team will need to be much-improved post after Moyes substitutions have been made.
Miraculous upset . Really Simon they ain’t that good . And you’re even suggesting that there front lines better than ours . You’re in a minority of one I suspect on that one . Kudus is better than kulisevski . Pacquetas better than Maddison and there isn’t much between son and Bowen . . Where they have an advantage is in the dugout. Postucoglu is vastly better than Moyes .