After a frustrating draw against Stoke City where the Potters left it late to score the equaliser, Bilic’s men will be visiting the White Hart Lane this week to play Tottenham who are the only team to remain unbeaten this season so far.
Although the Hammers went down 4-1 last season in this fixture, Spurs have won just one of their last 4 games against West Ham at home, which is encouraging enough for Bilic to go and be the first team to beat Tottenham this season.
However, West Ham have won just 1 in their 14 Premier League visits there and this match too, could well end as a stalemate. With some interesting individuals in both sides, the match could be a very interesting one.
Here are the 3 key battles that might decide the fate of the match.
Dimitri Payet vs Danny Rose
Dimitri Payet has created 40 goalscoring chances this season in league competitions, which is more than any other player in the big five European leagues in the 2016-17 season. If not for the toothless attack that Bilic has at the moment, the Hammers could well have seen themselves in the top half. But with Andre Ayew returning to the squad, the front line seems to have a bit of sharpness.
Danny Rose shook off a knock to play for England’s World Cup qualifications last week and is expected to start on the left flank. He will definitely have a tough time defending the French international. Rose hasn’t been the best of defenders so far. He has won 17 tackles this season with a success rate of 43%. He has made 12 interceptions, 36 clearances and one block, according to Squawka.
Harry Kane vs James Collins
With their best option finally returning up front, Mauricio Pochettino surely had a sigh of relief. Kane scored upon his return from the spot against Arsenal. Pochettino had a blunt forward in Janssen until now and Kane’s return has surely improved Spurs’ chances of winning games.
West Ham have been very poor defensively this season conceding 20 goals in the opening 11 games so far, and James Collins is equally responsible for that. Collins has won nine tackles this season with a success rate of 50%. He has made 22 interceptions, 40 clearances and seven blocks. He will have to do much better than that to keep Spurs at bay.
Michail Antonio vs Victor Wanyama
Now, this could be a tough battle considering their current form. Chances are most of the duel will boil down to the midfield but a mistake from either end could result in the team scoring. Wanyama has been a huge presence in Spurs midfield scoring one goal this season, creating 11 chances and no assists. He has a pass accuracy of 88%, of which 69% were forward passes.
Antonio, on the other hand, is Hammers’ top scorer with 5 goals and 2 assists. He has a pass accuracy of 73%, of which 67% were forward passes. Both are adept in both offensive and defensive play. He will have to be kept in check by Wanyama who is likely to play the deeper role.
Stats credits: Squawka
