Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Prediction: Tottenham vs West Brom

Verdict: Tottenham win to nil

Best Odds: 5/4

Bookmaker: Bet365

On Saturday afternoon, Mauricio Pochettino will be looking to get his Spurs side back to winning ways. This week Tottenham will be playing host to a managerless West Brom side who are rapidly falling down the table.

Tottenham

After leaving the Emirates empty-handed last weekend, Mauricio Pochettino will be desperate to get his Spurs side back on track. Their 2-0 loss away at their North London rivals have seen Spurs drop down to fourth and are now chasing an 11 point deficit on runaway league leaders Manchester City.

Although their lackluster performance against Arsenal had people questioning Tottenham’s mentality against the top six teams, Tottenham’s midweek heroics in the Champions League have given Pochettino’s side a much-needed boost. Coming from 1-0 down away at Dortmund, goals from Harry Kane and Son-Heung-min saw Spurs seal top spot in Group H, ahead of back-to-back defending champions Real Madrid.

They’ve now lost two of their last three Premier League games, losing to Manchester United and Arsenal, Spurs failed to register a single goal against either side. For Tottenham though, they will know three points against a freefalling West Brom side will give them some momentum heading into a relatively simple Christmas period. After hosting a managerless West Brom on Saturday, Spurs face Leicester, Watford, and Stoke.

Although a month and a half period between September and October saw Spurs go undefeated in 10 consecutive games, Tottenham have begun to show some of their inconsistencies. There are still some loitering questions around Spurs when playing at Wembley, this season Tottenham have failed to beat the likes of Swansea, Chelsea, Burnley and West Ham.

Team News

Despite playing 60 minutes for Tottenham’s Under-23’s earlier this week, winger Erik Lamela is not fit enough for first-team action, the Argentinian is yet to make an appearance this season.

Spurs will, however, have to do without Ghanian midfielder Victor Wanyama and star defender Toby Alderweireld, the Belgium international is expected to be out until the New Year. Full-back duo Kieran Trippier and Ben Davies are expected to be recalled to Tottenham’s XI.

West Brom

At the start of the season, it all looked to be going so well for Tony Pulis and his West Brom side. The Baggies were unbeaten in their first three Premier League games and whispers of a successful season floated around The Hawthorns. Three months later, West Brom are a club in turmoil. After three years in the Midlands, Pulis has been sacked and West Brom remains without a new manager. With their last win coming against Accrington Stanley in August, The Baggies have failed to pick up a single win in their last 11 attempts.

With caretaker manager Gary Megson taking charge on the weekend, he will face an incredibly tough challenge if he hopes to leave North London with anything. In three out of West Brom’s last four games, the Midlands side have failed to register a single goal. Currently sat a single point above the drop zone, they’re also a side that that on average are conceding two goals per game.

Team News

West Brom’s caretaker manager will be unable to call upon former Spurs winger Nacer Chadli, the 28-year-old has picked up a hip injury and will not make the journey to North London. Along with Chadli, Megson will be without James Morrison and Craig Dawson who will be sidelined because of achilles and knee injuries respectively.

Key Factors to Consider

  • Tottenham Hotspur have lost just one of their last 15 Premier League meetings with West Brom (W6 D8)
  • West Brom are on a 10-match winless run in the league (D4, L6)
  • The Baggies average possession this season has been 40.3% the lowest in the Premier League this year
  • Harry Kane has scored 39 goals in 38 competitive appearances for Spurs this year
  • West Brom return to Wembley for the first time since the 2008 FA Cup semi-final that they lost 1-0 to Portsmouth

 Conclusion

During Tony Pulis’ three year reign over The Baggies, the Midlands side averaged under a goal a game, so, it’s hard to see West Brom causing Spurs any major problems. Coupled with the fact they will be facing off against a Spurs side who have kept three clean sheets in their last four appearances, we expected West Brom to leave North London empty-handed and without a goal. Backing Spurs to win to nil seems like the most logical bet here.

Verdict: Tottenham win to nil

Best Odds: 5/4

Bookmaker: Bet365

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tom Dunstan


Formerly of The Independent, Tom has spent the past six years as one of our senior writers and betting experts. Alongside working with numerous publications from across the globe, Tom also graduated from the University of Falmouth in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Digital Media.
Spending almost the past decade working in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada, he has also spent time featuring in sports radio. Tom can be followed on Instagram - @iamtomdunstan

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