- The two sides are level on points
- Spurs have not lost in the PL since opening day
- West Ham have scored 12 away goals
There is only one Premier League match on Sunday, a London derby as Tottenham Hotspur hosts West Ham United at White Hart Lane (Watch live, 11 a.m. ET on NBCSN and online via Live Extra).
Both Tottenham and West Ham sit with 21 points through 12 matches, as the winner of this match will take claim to the fifth spot on the Premier League table.
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Tottenham is currently one of the hottest teams in the league, unbeaten since their opening day loss to Manchester United back in August. One of the keys to Spurs’ great form is the play of Harry Kane, who has finally started to find his touch in front of goal. After a slow start to the season, Kane has grabbed five goals in his past three Premier League appearances.
West Ham has had one of the surprise starts to the season, but must now begin a run of play without their star playmaker Dimitri Payet, who has been ruled out for up to three months with an ankle injury. Enner Valencia is also out after picking up a knock before the international break, which means the likes of Manuel Lanzini and Victor Moses must pick up the slack.
[ VIDEO: Jurgen Klopp, Adam Lallana speak after Liverpool’s win over Man City ]
What they’re saying
Tottenham’s Eric Dier on playing in derbies: “West Ham have won a lot of away games against big teams so we know it will be a tough game and that we’ll need to be at our best. Everyone enjoys the London derbies. We will all be up for it. We’ve worked hard this week and we’re determined to get the result we all want on Sunday.”
West Ham defender James Tomkins on facing Spurs: “When we get the fixtures at the start of the year, I’d be lying if I said it’s (Tottenham) not the first one you look for. They’re big games, and massive for the fans. With the away wins we’ve had so far, to top it off with a win against Spurs, it wouldn’t get much better than that.”
Prediction
West Ham has played well, especially away from home, but it’s going to get a lot tougher without Dimitri Payet. It doesn’t help that the Hammers’ first match without Payet is against Tottenham, who are thinking top-four after their recent run of form. Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 West Ham United.