Ange Postecoglou is ready to “explode” when his Tottenham players return from the international break, using his side as “therapy” after their loss to Brighton last time out. (More Football News)
Spurs were on the end of a dismal defeat at the Amex Stadium against the Seagulls, squandering a two-goal lead to halt their five-match winning streak in all competitions.
Postecoglou faced criticism for the manner in which his side capitulated on the south coast, but wanted to make his feelings known ahead of their London derby with West Ham that will kick off the latest round of Premier League fixtures this weekend.
“You never know with the international [break] whether it will be good or bad, maybe for the players it was good, but I don’t like sitting on a loss. You want to get it out of your system and move on to the next challenge,” Postecoglou told Optus Sport.
“There can be a tendency to overanalyse, but it wasn’t a good one. That first half we played against Brighton was unbelievable – the best we have played all year – but I just didn’t like the second half and what we looked like.
“You know what international football, the game finishes and everyone goes, so the dressing room after the game is not the time to analyse. I have been sitting on it for 10 days now and I am ready to explode once they get back in the building and they will be my therapy.”
West Ham, meanwhile, come into the contest off the back of a first win in five games against Ipswich, relieving the pressure on new boss Julen Lopetegui.
Michail Antonio, Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta were all on target against the Tractor Boys and are aiming to produce back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since March 2023.
Lopetegui showered praise on Bowen, who missed out in England’s Nations League squad for their October fixtures. The Spaniard is expecting his star man to continue his form, with the aim of impressing incoming Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel.
“The best way to show your disappointment as a player is this,” Lopetegui said.
“When you don’t play in one lineup, when you don’t go away with England, it’s this. I think he knows that. He is always ready to help the team.
“He is always ready to work hard, to play well and that’s why he is a very good player.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tottenham – James Maddison
Including crosses, no player has played more passes into the opposition box in the Premier League this season than Tottenham’s Maddison (64).
The 27-year-old’s next goal will be his 50th in the competition, with the midfielder netting in two of his last three league games.
West Ham – Jarrod Bowen
Bowen has been involved in 34 shots this season (15 shots, 19 chances created), more than any other West Ham player.
Indeed, last time out against Ipswich, he became the first Hammers player to have five or more shots and create five or more chances in a single Premier League match since Michail Antonio against Arsenal in March 2021.
MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN
This will be the eighth time Tottenham and West Ham have faced each other in the first Premier League matchday back after an international break, with Spurs so far unbeaten in the previous seven (W4 D3).
Tottenham have also only won more Premier League games against Everton (31) and Manchester City (28) than they have vs West Ham (26).
But Postecoglou’s men have lost four of their last six Premier League London derbies (W1 D1), as many as they had in their previous 16 (W9 D3). They did beat Brentford 3-1 in their last such match, however.
In contrast, the Hammers are unbeaten in their last three Premier League London derbies on the road (W1 D2), with those accounting for all three of their away games so far this season. They last had a longer such run without defeat between January and December 1999 (six).
David Moyes’ West Ham side came from behind to win this exact fixture 2-1 last season, but they have not won consecutive league visits to Spurs since doing so in April and November 1966.
They will have to be wary of the threat of Brennan Johnson, who has scored in each of his last six games in all competitions for Tottenham. His six goals in run are more than he’d netted in his first 38 appearances for the club (five).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Tottenham – 56.6%
Draw – 22.4%
West Ham – 20.9%
