A mouthwatering London derby will be on the cards on Thursday when Tottenham welcome West Ham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League.
Spurs ended their three-game losing run in the Premier League with a point from the thrilling 3-3 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. After a gritty show against the defending champions, Ange Postecoglou’s side will be desperate to get back to winning ways in midweek.
On the other hand, West Ham were held to a 1-1 draw by London rivals Crystal Palace at the London Stadium last weekend. The draw brought an end to their two-game winning run, so David Moyes and Co. will be hoping to get back to winning ways as well.
On that note, here are the key battles that could define the outcome of this much-awaited Premier League fixture.
#Dejan Kulusevski vs Edson Alvarez
Dejan Kulusevski scored a stoppage-time equaliser for Spurs in the 3-3 draw with Man City, and he will be heading into the London derby with a lot of confidence. The Swede has thrived in a central role in the last two games, helping Spurs’ stitch attacks with his creativity, movement and flair. He will be looking to get into half spaces, link up well with Son Heung-min and hurt West Ham in midweek.
So, West Ham must do everything possible to keep Kulusevski under wraps if they intend to keep a clean sheet, and the bulk of the responsibility could fall on the shoulders of Edson Alvarez. A defensive midfielder by trade, Alvarez is a fantastic ball-winner and tackler and he will need to bring all his qualities on the floor in midweek.
If the Mexican can stop Kulusevski from having an influence in the game, West Ham’s chances of getting a positive result against Spurs will become higher.
#Mohammed Kudus vs Destiny Udogie
Two young talents bubbling with talent, the clash between Mohammed Kudus and Destiny Udogie could be a thing of beauty.
Kudus has adapted quickly to the demands of Premier League football following his summer switch from Ajax, tormenting the opposition with his pace, link-up play, creativity, and impressive finishing. With five goal contributions in the last four games, the Ghanaian is West Ham’s most in-form player.
Udogie, who has been a mainstay at left-back in Postecoglou’s team, will be tasked with the responsibility of keeping Kudus quiet. The Italian’s tenacity, agility and energy are some of his great assets, and his knack for pushing further up the pitch as well could keep the West Ham star on his toes.
How Udogie adapts to Kudus’ speed and movement could prove to be a determining factor on Thursday.
#Son Heung-min vs Kurt Zouma
Son Heung-min has been in blistering form this season, scoring nine goals and supplying two assists in 14 games so far. He has managed to replace Harry Kane’s goal to some extent, and the South Korean will be Spurs’ biggest threat going forward.
Son’s ability to score goals and create chances makes him a dangerous opponent for West Ham, who will want their skipper Kurt Zouma to shackle the Spurs striker. Moyes has confirmed that Zouma is back in training after missing the last game due to personal reasons.
The Frenchman has been a fixture in Moyes’ side this season, but on Thursday, he is set to face one of the biggest tests in the form of Son. It will be interesting to see how Zouma goes about tackling Son’s threat in the London derby.