In looking for their first win of the season, West Brom wouldn’t have wished for Premier League a tie with Tottenham Hotspurs at this time.
The Baggies have no choice than to honour the tie against Jose Mourinho’s men that are having good runs in the Premier League. Spurs is going into this tie after having controlled display in Bulgaria, where they recorded a 3-1 victory over Ludogoret.
Jake Livermore, who currently West Brom’s captain was the last person that scored against Spurs to record a Premier League victory against the North London side in May 2018.
The most recent episode of #WBATOT. 💥🤯 pic.twitter.com/7AmoLSYlZp
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) November 7, 2020
Having gathered just three points from seven games, West Brom must find a solution to their leaky defence and start scoring goals.
Being the second highest conceding side in the League, behind Leeds United, who were mauled 4-1 on Saturday by Crystal Palace, it is expected that Spurs should have a field day based on the rampant form of the two strike partners, Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane.
Having just scored his 200th Spurs goal in 300 games, Jose Mourinho could start Kane alongside son and Gareth Bale, who recently scored his first goal for the club as well after struggling with injury since his arrival on loan from Real Madrid.
Tottenham might not be convincing in some games as seen against Antwerp and Brighton, but they are work in progress and getting better as a team. Getting positive results during this development is a huge plus to them.
With the situation of the team, West Brom will need 36 points or so to stay up. As things stand, where they are going to get them from remains unknown.
West Brom v Tottenham Hotspurs: Injury new
Dara O’Shea has missed West Brom’s last two matches because of an ankle injury. He will be assessed while Sam Field and Hal Robson-Kanu remain sidelined.
For Spurs, left-back Sergio Reguillon could be in the starting eleven after missing the midweek trip to Ludogorets through illness.
Serge Aurier, who sat out the trip to Bulgaria with a minor injury, could return to action if passed fitness test while Erik Lamela is ruled out by a niggling problem.
West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:
Johnstone; Furlong, Ivanovic, Ajayi, Townsend; Gallagher, Livermore, Krovinovic; Robinson, Grant, Pereira
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Doherty, Sanchez, Dier, Reguilon; Sissoko, Hojbjerg; Lucas, Ndombele, Son; Kane
Stats
- Harry Kane has seven goals in seven Premier League games against West Brom
- The Baggies are one of nine sides against whom Kane averages at least a goal per game in the top flight
- Tottenham have won just two of their past 10 league fixtures against West Brom (D6, L2).
- The Baggies won their most recent game against Spurs in May 2018 and can record back-to-back league victories against them for the first time since 1984.
- West Brom are winless in eight Premier League matches since beating Tottenham 1-0 in their penultimate game of the 2017-18 season (D3, L5).
- The Baggies’ tally of three points from seven matches is their worst start to a league season since 1985 when they had just one point at the same stage.
- The previous time they failed to win any of their opening seven Premier League games was in 2004-05. They beat Bolton 2-1 in their eighth match and ultimately avoided relegation on the final day of the season.
- Slaven Billic has won three of his four home matches against Tottenham as a manager in all competitions – those victories (two with West Ham, one with Besiktas) were all by a 1-0 scoreline.
- Tottenham Hotspur could win their opening four away matches in a league season for the fourth time in their history.
- If Spurs avoid defeat in a seventh consecutive league game it will be their longest unbeaten run under Jose Mourinho, and their best since Mauricio Pochettino oversaw a 14-match sequence between December 2017 and April 2018.
- Their tally of 12 goals from their opening three away games is the highest by a top-flight side since 1935 when Middlesbrough had 14 goals at the same stage.
- The Londoners are the Premier League’s top scorers prior to the latest round of matches, with 18 goals.
- Defeat by Sheffield United in July means Spurs could lose back-to-back league matches against newly-promoted sides for the first time since 2012.
