The Premier League returns on Saturday and Tottenham Hotspur take on West Ham United in the first game of the weekend at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (12:30pm, TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+).
Spurs went into the international break on the wrong end of a 3-2 defeat by Brighton, ending a run of five straight wins in all competitions.
Ange Postecoglou’s side will be looking to bounce back when they take on a West Ham side struggling for consistency.
At first glance, their seasons look very different, but in reality the two sides are just three places and two points apart in the Premier League table, while much of Spurs’ success has come in the League Cup and Europa League which has skewed their recent record.
In the league, Postecoglou’s men have won three, drawn one and lost three – against Newcastle, Arsenal and of course Brighton, while West Ham have won two, drawn two and also lost three against Aston Villa, Manchester City and Chelsea.
The big problem for Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui is that those defeats have all come at the London Stadium, but they did finally secure their first home win of the season in their last match, beating Ipswich 4-1 to give their fans something to cheer about.
Consistency has been an issue for the Hammers, who haven’t won consecutive league games since March, and they have only won one of their last six matches at Tottenham – but that win was in their last meeting when they came from a goal down to win 2-1.
The early kick-off can often be hard to predict but this one has the added twist of coming on the back of an international break when players have been here, there and everywhere and all coming back at different times.
Betting sites have installed Tottenham as odds-on favourites to return to winning ways, but life is never straightforward for the club and you can get a price of 24/5 for the Hammers to spring the surprise on the road.
This will be the eighth time Tottenham and West Ham have faced each other straight after an international break, with Spurs so far unbeaten in the previous seven, winning four and drawing three. Historically they have found their feet the quickest.
They also have the added advantage that their three most in-form players Brennan Johnson, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke should all be fresh.
Johnson played only 45 minutes for Wales in their 1-1 draw with Iceland, but he did score his side’s goal before he was replaced at the break. Wales boss Craig Bellamy said the substitution was precautionary but he was also on a yellow card, which meant he missed Monday’s game with Montenegro due to suspension.
The 23-year-old has scored in each of his last six games in all competitions for Tottenham, with his six goals in these games more than he’d netted in his first 38 appearances for the club.
James Maddison’s form for Spurs, which has seen him score two, assist with two and play the most passes into the opposition box, wasn’t enough to earn him a recall into the England squad but with a new manager now in place, the slate will be wiped clean again.
He has scored in two of his last three matches and a goal this weekend would be his 50th in the Premier League.
It’s not all about the home team though, Michail Antonio has scored more Premier League goals against Tottenham than he has against any other opponent with six and five of them have been the opening goal of the match.
Antonio’s presence could cause a few jitters in the Tottenham ranks, especially after surrendering a 2-0 lead to Brighton last time out. Danny Welbeck gave them a torrid time and it may see Postecoglou’s men put on the back foot.
However, we’re backing Spurs to atone for their mistep against Brighton by turning the tables on West Ham. The freshness of Johnson, Solanke and Maddison may loom large. A price of 5/1 on football betting sites appeals for Tottenham to win from behind.
Tottenham v West Ham prediction: Tottenham to win from behind - 5/1 Bet365
Hammers captain Jarrod Bowen is another player who will want to impress the new England manager Thomas Tuchel after being left out of the last England squad by interim boss Lee Carsley.
Bowen has made a strong start to the season, with two goals and two assists from his seven league games. He has been involved in 34 attempts at goal so far with 15 shots and 19 chances created, more than any other West Ham player.
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 league match since Antonio against Arsenal in March 2021.
Bowen is a dangerous player and with the way that Tottenham defended in the second half against Brighton, there could be opportunities for Bowen to capitalise.
We like the value for Bowen to cause a stir in the final third and rack up two or more shots on target at odds of 8/1 on betting apps.
Tottenham v West Ham prediction: Jarrod Bowen to have two or more shots on target - 8/1 William Hill
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