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We like to think of passion and bravery deciding London derbies rather than tactics and philosophies, especially when they involve two bitter rivals like West Ham and Tottenham. But behind the crunching tackles and shin-shattering challenges will be the respective game-plans of both sides in their 3pm meeting this Saturday.
So, where and how will this Premier League clash for local bragging rights be lost and won? Football FanCast take a look at the four key factors that will decide the encounter, ranging from individual battles to super-subs…
The Key Battle – Marko Arnautovic vs Toby Alderweireld
If West Ham are to get something out of this game, then another talismanic performance from Marko Arnautovic is essential.
Not only his goal threat but also his holdup play has been vital to pretty much everything West Ham have produced going forward over the last calendar year, and with Javier Hernandez and Lucas Perez the alternatives in reserve, the Irons just aren’t the same side without the Austrian international. Worryingly, Arnautovic is playing through the pain at the moment, so while the Hammers need him on his best form, they also won’t want the centre-forward to exert himself too much.
The task of stopping Arnautovic imposing himself on the game will predominantly fall to Toby Alderweireld. With Jan Vertonghen injured until December, his Belgian compatriot needs to emerge as a real leader of this Tottenham team and especially the backline over the next few months. Nullifying the threat of one of the most physical and skilful strikers in the Premier League would be a pretty good start.
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The Key Dynamic – Workshy wingers versus Tottenham’s full-backs
Flying full-backs, or on occasion wing-backs, have been a fundamental part of Mauricio Pochettino’s philosophy throughout his time in the Premier League. And that tactical quirk could well be what decides this match, because West Ham’s two big-name imports from the summer – Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson – don’t offer much protection down the flanks. That could see the likes of Kieran Trippier and Ben Davies get a lot of freedom offensively, which can only be bad news for the Hammers.
But one man’s workshy is another’s positionally coy, and Manuel Pellegrini will argue there’s a distinct advantage to Yarmolenko and Anderson staying so high up the pitch. It gives West Ham outlets to counter-attack, especially against full-backs who like to push on. It’s an intriguing dynamic that could make all the difference this Saturday.
The Deciding Factor – West Ham’s Cup Final
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West Ham have claimed more wins over Tottenham than any other team in the Premier League and that’s largely because this is probably the first game the club’s fans look for when the fixture list is announced at the start of the season. It’s perhaps not as important to them as a cup final, but it’s not too far off either and that extra atmosphere, even at the London Stadium, always seems to carry across to the players who raise their games accordingly.
We can talk about tactics, formations and individual battles, but they can only have so much impact against a highly motivated team determined to exert their game-plan onto opposition. That’s not to say Tottenham don’t have the quality to overcome a super-charged West Ham, but it will be crucial for them to remain level-headed and composed, in the hope the emotion the Irons bring to the game eventually becomes the hosts’ own undoing.
The Impact Subs – Robert Snodgrass vs Fernando Llorente
Robert Snodgrass has become a surprise favourite of Pellegrini’s and while the new West Ham manager may not always include the Scotland international in his starting XIs, which looks set to be the case this weekend especially as he’s still something of an injury doubt, the former Hull star has featured in all of the Irons’ competitive fixtures so far this season.
Able to play out wide or centrally, he gives Pellegrini the option to make West Ham’s otherwise industrious and disciplined midfield more offensive and adventurous – a change which could be needed late on if Tottenham are in the lead.
Fernando Llorente, meanwhile, finds himself as one of Tottenham’s key impact options almost by default. The towering Spaniard has hardly made a mark since joining the club from Swansea City and managed just one substitute appearance so far this term, but his height at set pieces could have the final say on this London derby if its still tight in the closing stages.
Spurs have scored the most set piece goals of any Premier League side this term while West Ham have conceded the third-most, so throwing on an extra aerial menace is a plausible source of a late winner.