As the Premier League fixtures tighten up this week, the London derby - Westham v Tottenham - will undoubtedly be the marquee match, and its excitement should not be underestimated.
Off the field, the fans of the two teams get along well, however, the battle on the field will be about the fierce competition between the two sides to qualify for next season's European competitions.
Westham's defeat at St. James' Park last weekend was certainly a heavy blow. Although the loss was inevitable, the 3-1 scoreline was clearly too much for Moyes' side to take. However, this upcoming match comes at the right time, as it gives Westham no time to dwell on the loss, but instead need to quickly adjust their form and show a bounce back in the game.
Despite the defeat, Westham is still a threatening team. Chalo Pao-yun has been playing very eye-catching; Gudas has been one of the highlights of the season, while Lucas Berqueda's every appearance makes people expect him to create miracles again. The return of Michali Antonio will bring a more consistent attacking firepower to the team, a tactical style that Moyes is pushing for. I expect Westham to be happy to let Spurs control the ball while using their low defense to bait their opponents into making mistakes.
I was there at last Saturday's game to witness the problems faced by Westham's gate players. I think they were too passive against Harvey Bannis or Anthony Gorton and gave their opponents too much space. Considering that Tottenham have good strikers like Son Heung-min, James Maddison and Biranjohnson, Westham have to strengthen this aspect of their game, and they have already shown their ability to pick up the ball on the side of the field and create a threat in the game against Luton.
Tottenham Hotspur have not been able to continue their great form from the beginning of the season, but their style of play is still appealing. Despite their recent fluctuating performances, a win was enough for them to overtake Aston Villa and return to the top four.
Son Heung-min was once again the hero for Tottenham in their last match, scoring a crucial goal late in the game and climbing to fifth place on the club's all-time scorers list. However, I think it was Johnson, who came off the bench, who really changed the course of the game. He came on as a substitute and quickly helped his team equalize and assisted Son Heung-Min in the goal. Unfortunately, his goal was ruled out by goal-line technology. In just 45 minutes, he was direct and active and posed a huge threat. I hope he can show his strength again in this match.
Saturday's game against Luton showcased Tottenham's dominance in possession, offense and shot opportunities. Westham will go all out, keeping their formation compact and looking for mistakes from their opponents. As they did in the first round, they will utilize their chances to create problems for Tottenham. In that match, Tottenham failed to win despite having 75% possession and 23 shots on goal.
I think this match will have a similar course to the first round match and a similar result, with Westham expected to win a close match in a thrilling battle.
