Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United: Can the Hammers end the decade happy?
The East End boys were happy Hammers on Boxing Day as they beat basement boys Portsmouth and jumped out of the bottom three. But if they want to make those smiles even bigger West Ham must do something that they haven’t managed in 10 years . . . win at the home of one of their most bitter rivals Spurs.
Going into the Chelsea game, Gianfranco Zola was in danger of seeing the Irons fall to the foot of the table. Two games on though and the picture looks a lot better. They are one point off the drop zone and three points off mid table. However, today they face a Tottenham side with grand designs of clinching a top four place.
Spurs have dug a hole and buried the ghost of that shock home defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers by going three games undefeated, including a credible draw at the Cottage on Boxing Day, and have kept three clean sheets in the process. Redknapp should fancy his chances of success against his former club as they have won six of their last seven meetings, home and away, and haven’t lost to the Hammers at the Lane for 10 years.
West Ham’s last victory over Spurs though in May 2006 brings back fond memories to both Arsenal and West Ham fans. Martin Jol’s men had a Champions League place in their grasp before the Hammers and an outbreak of food poisoning dashed their chances and the Gunners sneaked in. I think it’s fair to say that lasagne won’t be on the menu today or any other day at White Hart Lane!
Tottenham, thanks to a slack pass by Carlton Cole, beat West Ham in August 2-1 and Zola and Clarke will be keen to get revenge and end the decade on a high. However, in order to do that they will have to find the back of the net – something they haven’t managed at the Lane in their past three visits.
Now as it is the holiday season let’s have a little quiz. Can anyone remember who scored for West Ham in their last win at the Lane in 1999? The score was 2-1 and it marked the Irons’ first league double over their rivals since 1983.
Unfortunately for the visitors, the majority of the Panel seems to favour a home win.
