Notebook – Spurs v West Ham United

We face our final fixture before the March international break on Sunday as we host West Ham United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (4.30pm kick-off).

Here in the Notebook, take a look at all the game’s key points of note…

1 - Hammering home

This is a fixture we rarely lose. In the last 19 editions of this contest in the Premier League, we have lost just twice, falling in October, 2013, (3-0) and April, 2019, (1-0). Of the other 17 league encounters, we have won 10 and drawn seven, with our latest victory coming in June, 2020, as we defeated the Hammers 2-0 thanks to a Tomas Soucek own goal and a late Harry Kane strike.

2 - On top against West Ham

In fact, across the history of the Premier League, this is a fixture we have dominated. In 51 meetings between the sides in the competition, we have won 24 of them and drawn a further 10 – only against Everton (28) and Manchester City (27) have won more Premier League games.

This is also a fixture we have kept a fair number of clean sheets as, in our home fixtures against the Irons, we have managed 10 shutouts – only when Aston Villa have been the visitors have we kept more in the competition.

3 - Our last meeting

You don’t have to go back too far for our latest encounter with West Ham, as we faced them as recently as December. Meeting in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, we edged past the Hammers just before Christmas with a 2-1 win in a dominant display at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – and all three goals came in the space of just five minutes.

Steven Bergwijn opened his account for the season that night as he broke the deadlock on 29 minutes, playing a neat one-two with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg before converting from close range. Our joy was short lived though as, just three minutes later, Jarrod Bowen showed neat feet in our box before finishing to level. Despite that setback, we didn’t have to wait long to find what turned out to be the match-winner as, on 34 minutes, ‘Stevie B’ turned provider for Lucas Moura, who sent the ball home from six yards to book our place in the semi-finals.

4 - Harry’s firing

Harry Kane loves a goal in this fixture. In his last 14 league appearances against West Ham, our number 10 has been involved in 13 goals (11 scored, two assisted) with nine of them coming in N17. In his Premier League career, the forward has only found the target on more occasions against Leicester (18) and Everton (14).

And you wouldn’t bet against the England skipper adding to that tally on Sunday as he is currently in a fine vein of form. In 2022 alone, he has contributed to 13 goals (11 scored, two assisted) in all competitions and, in his last six league appearances, he has been involved in eight goals (seven scored, one assisted).

5 - Sonny’s setting his sights

Another man who normally bears quite a considerable influence on proceedings against West Ham is Heung-Min Son. Our South Korean star, who opened the scoring in the last league meeting between the sides in N17, has been involved in 12 goals in his 14 career appearances against West Ham (five scored, seven assisted) and has contributed to at least a goal in all bar one of our last six home league encounters with the Irons (six goals – two scored, four assisted).

6 - Hammers’ highs in London derbies

This season, West Ham have enjoyed quite the run in London derbies. Only Chelsea (18) have earned more points in such games this term than the Hammers (10) with the east London side having won three of their last four capital clashes.

Meanwhile, we have struggled in these games this season. Of the seven we have faced to date, we have lost five (W2) – our return of six points is the lowest of any side in London. However, it is worth noting that of the three derbies that have come under Antonio Conte’s watch, we have won two of them and both came at home, defeating Brentford (2-0) and Crystal Palace (3-0) in N17 – we lost the other away to Chelsea (2-0).

7 - Faltering away

While they made a nigh on perfect start on the road at the start of this season, West Ham have since suffered on their travels. Having been unbeaten away from home in the first four months of the campaign (W4 D1), the Hammers have taken just eight points from the last 27 available to them on the road (W2 D2 L5) – their two wins in that time both came within the M25 though, defeating Watford 4-1 in December and Crystal Palace 3-2 in January.

8 - The Irons’ form

While their away form has suffered over recent months, West Ham’s general form has been bright and has kept them in the hunt for a Champions League place. Since the turn of the year, the Hammers have lost just three times, winning six and drawing two of their last 11 games. While, in their last five outings, they have lost just once, and that came at Anfield against title-chasing Liverpool.

9 - Antonio’s record

West Ham’s Michail Antonio has habit of scoring against us, and, despite injury concerns, he is expected to be involved from the off on Sunday. The striker, who started the season in scintillating form with seven goal involvements in his first three games, has not scored a league goal since New Year’s Day – a run of nine games – however he has a knack of finding the back of the net against us. With six goals against us in his Premier League career to date, the Jamaican international has more scored more times versus us than any other team in the competition. He scored the winner in the reverse fixture earlier this season at the London Stadium (1-0).

10 - Doubling up

Since Antonio Conte arrived in north London, our goal output has increased two-fold. In our first 10 league games of the season, we returned an average of 0.9 goals per game but, since Antonio took the reins as our Head Coach in November, we have averaged 1.94 goals per game (35 goals in 18 matches). And that has certainly been noticed since the turn of the year as, in our last 10 league games, we have scored 21 goals and in five of the last six games, we have scored at least two goals each match. It is also worth noting that in all bar one of our home games under Antonio, we have scored at least twice. We have played 12 fixtures at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium under the Italian and have scored 30 goals, averaging an output of 2.5 goals per game.