West Ham vs Tottenham Hotspur – Match preview and team news

The Football Faithful

·4. Mai 2025

West Ham vs Tottenham Hotspur – Match preview and team news

There’s a London derby in the east of the capital this afternoon as West Ham United entertain Tottenham Hotspur.

West Ham are languishing in 17th position after conceding twice in the dying embers to eventually lose 3-2 to Brighton last weekend.

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Evan Ferguson is back at Graham Potter’s disposal as he was unable to play against his parent club on Saturday. Midfield enforcer Edson Alvarez is struggling with a back issue while Crysencio Summerville is ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Derby day in east London 👊 COME ON YOU IRONS! ⚒️
– Sonntag, 4. Mai 2025

During midweek, Ange Postecoglou and his Spurs players beat Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final. With the reverse fixture being played on an artificial pitch in the Arctic Circle on Thursday night, Spurs are expected to make significant changes to their starting lineup.

James Maddison and Dominic Solanke both gingerly exited the field in Europe after picking up knocks and have been ruled out of action. Maddison has been sent for a scan to reveal the extent of the injury while Solanke is also being monitored. It is currently unclear whether either player will be able to feature in the second leg of the semi-final.

Lucas Bergvall is a definite absentee, with his first season in English football cut short. According to his manager, the midfielder sustained an ankle injury in an innocuous training incident that didn’t involve a teammate. The Swedish teenager was spotted wearing a protective boot while supporting his teammates from the sidelines on Thursday. Captain Heung-min Son is progressing well but has not recovered in time to be available this weekend.

West Ham vs Tottenham Hotspur – Match preview and team news

Form

West Ham: LDLDL

West Ham are enduring a barren run of form which has seen them win none of their last seven matches.

Last time out, an encouraging display was ultimately meaningless as a late collapse allowed Brighton to claim all three points.

Goals from Mohammed Kudus and Tomas Soucek had given the Hammers a rare lead with seven minutes remaining.

But an 89th-minute equaliser from Kaoru Mitoma was followed by a stunning hit from Carlos Baleba in stoppage time. The score ended 3-2 on the South Coast with Graham Potter beaten by his former employers.

The Englishman was furious in his post-match press conference with the pressure and demands of the job taking its toll. West Ham fans have been voicing their concerns about the direction the club is going in. Last season, they finished ninth. Fast forward less than a year later and they sit in 17th position.

Tottenham: LWLLW

Tottenham’s success in Europe this season continued on Thursday as they beat Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in the Europa League semi-final.

It was a lightning start from the Lilywhites as Brennan Johnson headed home inside 38 seconds. James Maddison and Dominic Solanke added to the tally before Ulrik Saltnes grabbed a late consolation.

That goal for Bodo/Glimt gives them a lifeline heading into the second leg in Norway. Considering those circumstances, this afternoon’s match has very little bearing on how Tottenham’s season will be viewed. They have five defeats in their last six league games, with a win over relegated Southampton the anomaly in that run.

Last Meeting: Tottenham 4-1 West Ham, Premier League, 19th October 2024

Spurs came from behind to thrash West Ham in North London back in October.

The Hammers struck the first blow with both wingers combining for the opener. Jarrod Bowen skipped past Destiny Udogie before firing a searching cross towards the back post. Mohammed Kudus latched onto the pass and swept the ball into the back of the net with Pedro Porro unable to clear the effort on the line.

A superb solo strike from Dejan Kulusevski levelled matters going into the interval. The Swede cut inside onto his left foot before unleashing an unstoppable drive that hit both posts on its way in.

After the break, an eight-minute blitz from Tottenham saw them annihilate the West Ham defence. First, Udogie teed up Yves Bissouma with an inviting pass that allowed the former Brighton midfielder to slot past Alphonse Areola.

The momentum was firmly in Spurs’ favour and they doubled their advantage three minutes later. Heung-min Son’s tame shot was initially saved by Areola, but it bounced off Jean-Clair Todibo for an own goal.

A devastating counter-attack culminated with the hosts netting their fourth on the hour mark. Pape Matar Sarr released Son, who terrorised Todibo once again. Several stepovers from the South Korean befuddled the defender and the 32-year-old ruthlessly finished in style. This time the goal belonged to him which put his side in control.

In the closing stages, a melee broke out between the two teams, with Kudus at the heart of the commotion. A VAR check revealed the West Ham goal scorer had caught both Micky van de Ven and Sarr in the face and he was shown a straight red card for violent conduct.

Ange Postecoglou’s outfit played out the remainder of the contest in comfort and claimed three points against their rivals.

Predicted Lineups

West Ham: Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson; Paqueta, Soucek; Bowen, Fullkrug, Kudus.

Tottenham: Vicario; Gray, Danso, Davies, Spence; Sarr, Bissouma, Kulusevski; Odobert, Richarlison, Tel.

Who is the referee?

Michael Oliver will be the match official. Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring will assist him while Ruebyn Ricardo will be the fourth official. The VAR will be Darren England and he will be assisted by Peter Wright.