Everything on... West Ham

We welcome West Ham United to N17 on Saturday lunchtime as we look to continue our perfect record at our new home (12.30pm).

Since the opening of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, we have dispatched Crystal Palace, Huddersfield and Brighton in the Premier League in our new surroundings as well as in the Manchester City in the Champions League, scoring eight times across those four games while we are yet to concede a goal.

Here’s everything you need to know on our opponents this time around...

Team news

Forwards Javier Hernandez and Manuel Lanzini have returned to training following injuries but, like defender Aaron Cresswell, will face late fitness tests ahead of Saturday’s game.

Midfielder Samir Nasri remains unavailable for the clash while his former Arsenal team-mate Jack Wilshere could be in line for his first league start since August.

One to watch

Summer signing Felipe Anderson has enjoyed a fine debut season in the Premier League with the Hammers.

Moving to the London Stadium in July, the forward has played in all but one of their 35 games so far and he has nine goals under his belt.

Eight of those goals, however, came before the turn of the year - the last time West Ham won a game away from home - and so Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini will be hoping his number eight can rediscover that early-season form as they approach the end of campaign.

Last five meetings

31 October, 2018 – West Ham United 1-3 Spurs – Carabao Cup, fourth round
20 October, 2018 – West Ham United 0-1 Spurs – Premier League
4 January, 2018 – Spurs 1-1 West Ham United – Premier League
25 October, 2017 – Spurs 2-3 West Ham United – Carabao Cup, fourth round
23 September, 2017 – West Ham United 2-3 Spurs – Premier League

Previous clash

Back in October, we sealed our progression to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup with a 3-1 win at West Ham, just 11 days after also winning at the London Stadium in the league.

Heung-Min Son gave us the lead on 16 minutes as he was released through the heart of the home side’s defence by Dele Alli, before he clinically fired into the top corner.

The South Korean then doubled our lead nine minutes into the second half as once again he was threaded through by Dele before keeping his cool to round Adrian and slot home.

Lucas Perez then gave the east London outfit a lifeline on 71 minutes, nodding in Robert Snodgrass’ corner, but, just four minutes later, Fernando Llorente made sure of the win as he volleyed in from close range.

West Ham’s form

After enjoying a bright start to the season, it has been a difficult period of late for the Irons as they are currently on a run of four defeats in their last six.

A 4-3 triumph over Huddersfield was their only victory in that run, a game in which Pellegrini’s side had found themselves 3-1 down with only 15 minutes left to play.

They are currently on a run of nine away games without a win in all competitions, having not picked up three points on the road since 27 December.

Magic moment

In our last meeting with West Ham in N17 during the 2016/17 season, we twice came from behind to triumph 3-2 thanks to a last-minute Harry Kane winner.

Michail Antonio had given the visitors the lead on 24 minutes but we responded well and just after the restart, Academy graduate Harry Winks put us level with his first goal for the club.

The Hammers retook the lead on 68 minutes, however, as Lanzini gave them the advantage from the spot.

It looked like we were heading for defeat but on 89 minutes, when Darren Randolph could only divert Son’s cross into the path of Kane, the England striker did the rest as he tapped home, putting us on terms once more.

Then, just 60 seconds later, we had the chance to win the game as referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot when Son was brought down in the box. Kane placed the ball down and held his nerve as he so often does, firing past Randolph and into the corner to send the Lane into delirium.

Played for both

Sergei Rebrov arrived in north London at the turn of the Millennium, spending four years on our books before leaving for West Ham in 2004.

He had started his career with Ukranian side Shakhtar Donetsk before moving on to Dynamo Kyiv, where he helped them win eight consecutive league titles and reach the Champions League semi-finals in 1999, scoring several important goals along the way.

The striker’s form in his homeland then saw him earn a move to the Premier League, joining us in 2000, although he would never replicate those performances in a Spurs shirt. He spent two of his four seasons with us out on loan at Fenerbahce.

The Ukranian international then moved to West Ham for a single season, helping the Hammers into the Premier League via the play-offs. He returned to Dynamo Kyiv at the end of that campaign before ending his professional career at Rubin Kazan.

Sergei has since moved into management, coaching Dynamo to two league titles and two Ukranian Cups between 2014 and 2017 and has since taken charge of Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros.

What they’re saying

West Ham boss Pellegrini spoke with members of the media on Friday afternoon ahead of Saturday's game and admitted that his side have only one aim in the game - to win.

"It's a derby, of course, which gives us motivation. We must try to play well, like a big team. We are not going to their stadium just to try to draw, or not to concede," he explained.

"If you go into these games with the defending mentality, and maybe not trying to win, we might draw some more. But we've got one mentality - to try to win.

"I think you can beat Spurs. They are having a brilliant season - doing well in the Premier League and in the Champions League semi-finals. If we want to beat them, we need to play a very good game."