West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League, London Stadium, Tuesday 2 April 2024, 8.15pm BST
Following Saturday’s dramatic defeat at Newcastle United, West Ham United will be looking for a quick turnaround in fortunes when local rivals Tottenham Hotspur visit London Stadium on Tuesday evening.
A late Harvey Barnes brace at St James’ Park dealt the Hammers disappointment in the first bout of action after the international break, marking the end of a four-game unbeaten run in the top-flight.
Still seventh in the standings and well in the hunt for European qualification, David Moyes’ men will be aiming to get back on track against Spurs, who they saw off 2-1 in the reverse fixture not long before Christmas.
Ange Postecoglou’s fifth-placed charges are chasing a UEFA Champions League place and promise a tough contest however, while they will be full of confidence having beaten Luton Town 2-1 at the weekend.
Tickets…
Tickets for this sold-out game are still available on the Ticket Exchange, with Season Ticket Holders who cannot attend this fixture relisting their seats for other supporters to buy. Click HERE to check availability or relist.
Travel…
There is no planned disruption to TfL Underground services on the Central line, though there are set to be issues on Jubilee line, Elizabeth line, Overground and Docklands Light Railway services. Supporters using these lines are highly recommended to check their routes before departure.
Similarly, there are various disruptions to the c2c and Greater Anglia mainline services, as well as the Southeastern network that serves Stratford International.
Stratford and Stratford City Bus Stations are located in close proximity to Stratford station. Buses that run to these stations are numbers: 25, 86, 97, 104, 108, 158, 241, 257, 262, 276, 308, 425, 473, D8.
Supporters using public transport are advised to check their journeys before they travel, using resources such as TfL’s Journey Planner and the TfL Go app. Supporters may also wish to visit the National Rail website if travelling on the rail network.
There is no parking available at London Stadium. Restrictions will be in place and enforced in the local area.
How To Follow…
West Ham United’s home Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur has been selected for broadcast in the United Kingdom by TNT Sports.
If you live outside the UK, click HERE for details of Premier League listings in your territory.
You can follow the action via our live blog on whufc.com and our app, and across our social media channels. We will also have highlights and exclusive reaction for you after the final whistle on our website and social media.
Live audio commentary will be available in the UK on talkSPORT and worldwide on our official website and app.
Official Programme…
At 116 pages, and just £4 per issue, West Ham United’s 2023/24 Official Programme represents superb value for money for supporters wanting exclusive interviews, attention-grabbing opinions and eye-catching photographs, plus the regular news, columns, statistics and insightful content from across all areas of the Club.
Tuesday’s issue includes an in-depth interview and analysis of Brazilian star Lucas Paquetá, features with long-serving forward Michail Antonio and former defender James Collins, and chats with Kieron Dyer and Clive Allen.
With Academy content covering the recent contracts for Junior Robinson and Josh Briggs, the latest from our women’s team, plus history, puzzles, statistics and the lowdown on our opponents from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Official Programme is packed full of content for you!
Click here to order your copy now.
Team News…
Midfielder Edson Álvarez will be missing once again through suspension, having picked up his tenth yellow card of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign in the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa in mid-March.
Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola will be assessed after being withdrawn at half-time during Saturday’s defeat at Newcastle United, as will defender Nayef Aguerd, who missed the St James’ Park trip with a shoulder problem.
Ryan Sessegnon, Fraser Forster and Manor Solomon are all set to be missing for Tottenham Hotspur.
Opposition…
No-one was too sure what to expect when Tottenham Hotspur appointed Ange Postecoglou as manager last summer, with the 58-year-old becoming the first Australian to take over at a Premier League club when he moved south from Scottish giants Celtic.
Antonio Conte’s 16-month spell in charge had ended with a whimper in March 2023, with the former Italy midfielder - who had won league titles in charge of Chelsea, Juventus and Inter Milan - becoming the third permanent boss unable to build on significant promise delivered during Mauricio Pochettino’s spell at the helm between 2014 and 2019.
Spearheaded by the likes of Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris, Spurs came agonisingly close to recapturing some of their former glories under Pochettino, finishing second in the Premier League in 2016/17 and as UEFA Champions League runners-up two years later.
There have certainly been some memorable days and nights in the white half of north London over recent years, with the Champions League semi-final win over Ajax in 2019 immediately springing to mind, but still the Tottenham faithful yearn for a first major trophy since their 2008 EFL Cup triumph, over 16 years ago.
The Lilywhites remain one of England’s most iconic outfits thanks to a burgeoning list of honours that includes two First Division titles, eight FA Cups, four League Cups and two UEFA Cups, and Postecoglou is now the latest man tasked with adding to that tally where the likes of high-profile names such as Pochettino, Conte and José Mourinho previously failed.
Closing in on one season into the job, and Ange-ball has taken over N17. Under their new manager, there is a relentless principle at Tottenham to play entertaining football; a style that combines possession play with bravery.
Despite something of a changing of the guard, with the aforementioned Kane leaving for Bayern Munich and Lloris no longer in the picture ahead of his move to the USA, things certainly got off to a flying start.
Against the odds, Postecoglou led Spurs to 26 points from their first ten games, the most earned by a Premier League manager in that time period, contributing to him being named the top-flight Manager of the Month for August, September and October.
After going on such an incredible unbeaten run all the way into November, that saw Tottenham top the standings by two points after those ten games, reality somewhat hit home during a subsequent five-game winless streak, that included a 2-1 reverse at home to West Ham United in early December.
A trail of inconsistency since then has left them fifth in the table with nine games to go, nine points behind bitter rivals Arsenal and without any hope of lifting silverware due to premature exits from both the FA Cup and EFL Cup.
Still, a return to Champions League football remains a distinct possibility for next season, offering plenty of positives to a side still getting to grips with a new style of play without many of its stalwarts from recent campaigns.
A new-look attacking line featuring James Maddison, signed from Leicester City, and former Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson has done well, while Korean star Son Heung-min has taken on the captaincy reins and continues to bang in goals for fun, even without Kane by his side.
With another summer to continue the transition, together with a possible return to the continent’s main table, Tottenham could be forgiven for being quietly confident of finally adding to their trophy cabinet sooner rather than later…
Previous Meetings…
West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur have met 55 times in the Premier League, with Spurs winning 26 to the Hammers’ 18, while eleven matches have been drawn.
The Irons are unbeaten in the sides’ last three matches at London Stadium. Before a 1-1 draw in August 2022, in which Tomáš Souček cancelled out Thilo Kehrer’s own goal, Michail Antonio scored the winner in October 2021 and was also on the scoresheet alongside Jesse Lingard in a 2-1 triumph over Jose Mourinho’s team behind closed doors in February of that year.
Tottenham did beat West Ham three times on the trot at home in all competitions between December 2021 and February 2023, until Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse strikes powered David Moyes’ men to a 2-1 win in north London in early December of last year, in the sides’ most recent meeting.
Spurs’ last win at London Stadium came in November 2019 when Harry Kane, Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min all struck for the visitors.
This particular fixture also has a reputation for a wonderstrike or two. Manuel Lanzini rescued a point with a 30-yard screamer as the Hammers overturned a three-goal deficit to draw 3-3 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2020, while two years earlier Pedro Obiang stunned Wembley Stadium with an unstoppable long-range rocket in a game that finished 1-1.
Match Officials…
Referee: John Brooks
Assistant Referees: Simon Bennett and Dan Robathan
Fourth Official: Tim Robinson
VAR: Andy Madley
Assistant VAR: Constantine Hatzidakis
John Brooks is set to be the man in the middle, taking charge of his second West Ham game this season following August’s 3-1 home win over Chelsea.
The Leicestershire-born official was promoted to Select Group One in June 2021 and refereed his first Premier League match in December of the same year.
He has held the whistle during 17 top-flight clashes this season, most recently during Chelsea’s 3-2 triumph over Newcastle United on 11 March.
For more information about the officials, click HERE.
