Preview: Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United

Posted Friday, November 18, 2016 by Foxsports.com

Mauricio Pochettino is looking forward to facing derby rivals West Ham in their Premier League clash at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Tottenham have endured a lean few weeks, and have not won a match since defeating Manchester City at the beginning of October.

They come into this tie on the back of a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the north-London derby ahead of the international break, where the majority of Pochettino's players have been in competitive action for their respective nations.

West Ham, meanwhile, after a horrendous start to their 2016/17 campaign, have stemmed the tide of defeats somewhat, with a 1-1 draw with Stoke City in their last game after a 2-0 loss to Everton – but those games came after two league wins, and a victory in the EFL Cup where there has been a notable improvement in performances.

In the build up to this match, Pochettino told a press conference he is eagerly-awaiting "another derby, another final".

He said: "Every time we play and compete in the Premier League, the opponent takes the game like a derby or a final. That is good. This is another derby, another final for us. Every time we play, the opponent gives their best."

He added: "Every game is important – important to win, to take three points, important for confidence and self-belief. The most important game is always the next one."

When asked if the international break will aid his team or have a negative effect, he added: "If we win on Saturday, it was good. It was good to have more time to rest and time to recover for the injured players. That was good. In terms of the result, we’ll see."

Slavan Bilic, who made his West Ham debut as a player at Spurs in 1996, in a match the the Hammers won 1-0, has, meanwhile, played tribute to the quality in the Spurs ranks, but knows his side can record a victory on their day against the Premier League title hopefuls.

He said: "You can say that on one hand, in October, Spurs didn’t win a game but on the other hand, they are the only team that is unbeaten.

"They are doing a good job and they've had a tough season because they've had a couple of injuries. Of course, the individual quality is there, the players are unique, they run a lot, they press a lot and it is enjoyable to watch them. They are solid, they are electric but it’s a good opportunity because we have improved and if we play good, we have a chance no matter who we are playing.

"Of course, it’s a very tough game – especially away. They are very comfortable in their stadium, it’s very tight, it's a good home ground but we are looking forward to it."

In team news, Spurs will be without Ben Davies (ankle), Toby Alderweireld (knee) and Erik Lamela (hip), with Dele Alli (knee) a doubt, but Harry Kane is fit to start.

West Ham have captain Mark Noble missing through suspension but Winston Reid is fit after recovering from a hamstring strain and Diafra Sakho could take his place on the bench – after sitting out the entire season with a back injury.