West Ham go into this all-important London derby with both sides more eager than usual to get the three points. The Hammers can move into the top half of the Premier League table with a big win; while North London rivals Tottenham can leapfrog Chelsea, who lost 2-0 at champions Manchester City yesterday, and go third, putting four points between themselves and neighbours Arsenal in the process.
FORM
Of the two sides, it is clear that Spurs are the in-form team. The Irons have won just one of their last seven Premier League games, and have struggled for goals- they haven't scored more than twice in a single Premier League game since defeating Norwich City 2-1 at the Boleyn Ground on New Year's Day.
Tottenham by comparison are in good shape; their last five Premier League outings have brought them a total of nine points, with two wins and three draws; and they are on a high, having defeated French ginats Lyon 3-2 on aggregate to progress to the last 16 of the Europa League. Spurs are actually undefeated in 2013 thus far and haven't tasted the bitter pill of defeat since a 2-1 reverse to Everton at Goodison Park on December 9, so West Ham have their work cut out to take anything from tonight.
RECENT MEETINGS
Recent games between West Ham and Tottenham is a prickly subjetc for Hammers; out of our last ten meetings, the Irons have triumphed just once- a goal from now-exiled striker Fredi Piquionne being enough to see off an out-of-sorts Spurs team in September 2010. That's as good as it gets for those of a claret and blue persusasion though; with our friends from North London triumphing in seven of the other meetings, with two draws making up the numbers. It's a good job this game is at the Boleyn Ground, as we haven't won at White Hart Lane since August 1998, when Ian Wright and Mark Keller both featured on the scoresheet in a 2-1 win.
TEAM NEWS
West Ham
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce almost has a fully-fit squad to choose from, with co-chairman David Gold confirming on Twitter today that only long-term absentee George McCartney being the only player not at Big Sam's disposal. As reported by Blowing Bubbles on February 13, centre half James Collins, a long term absentee from the first team since limping off during the 3-0 defeat at Sunderland in January with a hamstring strain, is set to make his comeback tonight; and fellow defender Joey O'Brien will also be back after successfully recovering from a thigh injury- both players skipped the trip to Dubai in order to get their fitness levels up and have been back in full training for the last few days. Blowing Bubbles' sources inform us that midfielder Mark Noble will play no part in tonight's game, however, after suffering an arm injury during training this week. January loan signing Wellington Paulista; a prolific scorer for the Development Squad with three goals in three games could be in line to make his Hammers debut as he makes the squad.
Tottenham
Spurs have a few injury worries, with former Hammer Jermain Defoe, the scorer of 14 goals already this season, sidelined with an ankle injury. Our heart at Blowing Bubbles bleeds for him. The visitors' other injury problems all relate to one part of their anatomy, with defender Younes Kaboul and midfielders Sandro and Tom Huddlestone all being sidelined with knee injuries. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is expected to return after sitting out the midweek 1-1 draw at Lyon.
OLD BOYS
This isn't as painful as it used to be, but there are still a couple of notable Hammers-Spurs connections which raise the blood pressure for us Irons. England forward Jermain Defoe spent four and a half seasons at the Boleyn Ground after making his first team debut against Walsall in the League Cup in September 2000; scoring 29 goals in 93 appearances before handing in a transfer request after relegation to the Championship in 2003 and eventually leaving for White Hart Lane in January 2004 in a deal which saw £7 million and Bobby Zamora head the other way. Former West Ham captain Scott Parker also signed for Spurs; the summer before last; for a fee of £5 million, after winning the 2010/2011 Football Writers' Player of the Year award but failing to prevent the club being relegated for the second time in eight years. With the game taking place the day after the 20th anniversary of the death of West Ham and England legend Bobby Moore and a wave of tributes planned by the Hammers, it is worth remembering that one of Bobby's closest pals, '60s and '70s winger Martin Peters, a World Cup winner with Mooro in '66, played for both sides, signing for Spurs in 1970. The original Judas? As Sir Matt Busby once put it about George Best, I prefer to remember his genius.
Dedicated to Bobby Moore- the greatest ever. Always in our hearts and in our minds.
By Alex Shilling, News Editor
@alexshilling
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