Premier League: West Ham v Tottenham betting preview, tip & where to watch

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 12.30pm Saturday

Best bet

Tottenham & under 3.5 goals
1pt 2-1 BoyleSports

Team news

West Ham
Mark Noble and Michail Antonio have recovered from knocks. Manuel Lanzini and Lukasz Fabianski are out. Fabian Balbuena only arrived back from international duty on Friday.

Tottenham
Hugo Lloris and Erik Lamela are Tottenham’s only absentees. Jan Vertonghen and Tanguy Ndombele are doubts.

Match preview

Mr Grumpy is back after an 11-month sabbatical to sprinkle some stardust on to a London derby between two sides in chronic need of a lift.

Jose Mourinho, now apparently more humble than special, though doubtless still as self-obsessed, will milk the limelight at the London Stadium, where he takes charge of Tottenham for the first time.

Punters are expecting an instant return on Daniel Levy’s considerable investment by lumping on Mourinho’s new side, who were even-money earlier in the week.

And if it as simple as breathing new life into a talented group of players who had downed tools on his predecessor, then Tottenham are worth backing, though it’s questionable whether there’s much value left in backing them.

West Ham make particularly obliging opponents for a side who, for all their issues, are a Champions League outfit whose last away game ended in a stunning 4-0 win at Red Star Belgrade.

That, of course, was followed by a poor effort at home to Sheffield United and, though we didn’t know it at the time, the end of Mauricio Pochettino's reign.

But the Hammers are there for the taking.

From their calamitous second-string keeper – Roberto has shipped 12 goals in six appearances at a goal every 42 minutes – to a criminally isolated striker in Sebastien Haller, West Ham look all over the place.

Manuel Pellegrini can hear the cries from the cheap seats to start changing tactics rather than simply personnel but the Chilean is a stubborn old bird who hasn’t done so yet, despite the fact that his side are without a win in seven in all competitions and were simply desperate in their last game before the international break, a shocking 3-0 defeat at Burnley.

West Ham’s supporters will be up for the occasion given their rivalry with Tottenham, and the return of Mourinho will simply crank up the heat. But will the Hammers' underperforming players be able to tap into the raucous atmosphere and produce a decent display?

Indeed, the same question is being asked of their side by Tottenham supporters.

Whether they are prepared to admit it or not, a staleness did appear to have settled in at Spurs and while Mourinho has decreed he will tread carefully in his new environment and not make dramatic changes, some well-aimed kicks up the backside probably wouldn’t go amiss.

It’s unlikely Mourinho will tinker too much with the shape of the side, even though they haven't won an away match in the Premier League since January.

The struggling sides can be separated by the goal threat carried by Harry Kane, who has scored 20 goals for Spurs and England this season.

Whether he is still Mourinho the Mad or more a remodelled Mourinho the Humble, the fact is Tottenham look the team to back. They have got better players and better options and now, whatever his faults, a manager who is a winner.

The last three Premier League meetings between the sides have produced just four goals and given the organisational ability of Tottenham’s new gaffer, take the visitors to win a low-scoring game as an alternative to their shortening 90-minutes price.