Chris Sutton predicts high scoring West Ham United vs Tottenham clash
Chris Sutton has predicted that West Ham will follow up their first win and first goal of the season with an eventful draw against Tottenham.
The Hammers host Spurs on Wednesday night (31 August) after finally getting on the board with a 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday, and against Antonio Conte’s side he expects more goals to follow in a 2-2 result.
He credits manager David Moyes’ switch to a back four in the previous game as being the key, after a defensive injury crisis marred the start of the season, but is still struggling to work Tottenham out.
In his latest BBC Sport Premier League predictions Sutton said: “Tottenham are quite strange really. They love to lure teams in and counter but West Ham got their first away win in their last game. The Hammers have had centre-half issues, they started with a back three against Villa but David Moyes’ tactical switch to a four at the back won them the game.
“You never know with Spurs, they can click but I think this will be a draw. I think West Ham will score with Spurs defending very, very deep.”
Revival
They should have lost at Chelsea but escaped with a point and Spurs are looking formidable again this season, so it is a measure of the confidence in what this Hammers side should be capable of that a draw is still the prediction after just one win.
The headline signing of Lucas Paqueta could serve as a major psychological boost for the squad, and not least the fans inside the London Stadium on Wednesday night, whether the Brazilian features or not.
Getting over the barrier of the first goal and the first points at the weekend was crucial, because there is plenty to suggest the record was giving a false picture before that.
Reigning champions Manchester City, with a newly-installed Erling Haaland, was likely the last team Moyes would have liked to see rocking up in Stratford while he was attempting to navigate a shortage of centre-backs, and it was difficult to comprehend how the Irons returned from Nottingham on the losing side in the next game.
The defeat to Brighton wasn’t great, but isn’t the embarrassment it might have been in years past as they currently sit in the top four and themselves unbeaten.
The glaring zeros in the points and goals scored columns can become self-fulfilling prophecies the longer they hang around, so now they are gone it should be exciting to see what the huge spend that has gone into this squad can do.
Gianluca Scamacca struggled at Villa but has scored home and away in the European qualifiers, while the real Declan Rice finally stood up down the stretch at Villa Park and the centre-back partnership of Kurt Zouma and Thilo Kehrer is showing encouraging signs.
The sooner everything can get clicking at once the better as this side has the makings of something impressive if it comes off.