TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR v WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Barclays Premier League
Sunday 21st September 2014, 1:30pm
White Hart Lane

Under pressure Alan Irvine takes his Albion side to White Hart Lane on Sunday still looking for his first win as Baggies’ boss.

It’s clearly going to be a big ask for Albion to return to the West Midlands with anything other than a defeat, Spurs are in pretty good form, currently sitting in 6th place having suffered just the one league defeat this season - against Liverpool. With Albion winning just five games in almost 12 months, added to the club’s poor record at White Hart Lane - our last win at the venue came almost 30 years ago - the signs are not good.

Irvine will for the first time have a full squad to choose from although whether he continues to avoid risking our ‘unfit’ signings remains to be seen. Joleon Lescott and Silvestre Varela, perhaps the two players that could make a real difference to the team have yet to be seen this season although with the team shipping way too many goals and creating very little offensively it is surely time for the duo to be given their chance. Sebastian Blanco also is more than deserving of a start with current widemen Chris Brunt and Graham Dorrans not producing the goods.

Baggies’ captain Brunt has found himself taking more than his fair share of criticism lately and although the reception he received when substituted against Everton was blown out of proportion by the media and twitter - the majority of vitriol was aimed at Irvine for leaving the substitutions too late - it is clear he is the current ‘terrace boo-boy’. After five or six years of being one of our most influential players, the Brunt of 2014 is struggling to recreate the killer passes, crosses and delivery that became his trademark during his earlier years at the club. On current, and indeed on his form of the last 12 months, he clearly isn’t deserving of his seemingly guaranteed place in the starting line-up.

Another player badly out of form is the previously reliable Jonas Olsson. After being the rock at the centre of our defence for six years the big Swede has started in poor form, with mistakes against Swansea and Everton proving extremely costly. With the aforementioned Lescott and Gareth McAuley both ready to step up the pressure is now on Olsson to improve and improve quickly.

Whilst the Baggies are in desperate need of a win, a draw would be a more than acceptable result at the Lane, especially with an eminently more winnable game against Burnley looming on the horizon for next weekend. If Irvine’s men can come out of those two games with four points, perhaps added to progress in the Capital One Cup at the expense of Hull, the Scotsman may just keep himself in the Hawthorns’ hotseat for a while longer. No wins from those games will surely leave him on the brink.

ATWD prediction: Spurs 2-1 Albion

MATCH NOTES

The game will be the 139th league and cup meeting between Albion and Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs have a slight edge in terms of victories with 54 compared to the Baggies' 52.

Albion's last game on this date came just last year when goals from Stéphane Sessègnon, Liam Ridgewell and Morgan Amalfitano gave the Baggies a 3-0 Premier League win over Sunderland at The Hawthorns.

Spurs' last game on September 21 came in 2010 when they suffered a 4-1 Carling Cup defeat at home to arch-rivals Arsenal.

Excluding the penalty shoot-out against Oxford, the Baggies have won only five of their last 38 league and cup games, a run stretching back to October 2013.

Albion's last victory came back in April when they beat West Ham United 1-0 at The Hawthorns.

Baggies' goalkeeper Ben Foster will make his 100th Albion appearance if selected.

Albion's last six games: Everton (H) 0-2; Swansea City (A) 0-3; Oxford United (H, LC) 1-1 (7-6 after pens); Southampton (A) 0-0; Sunderland (H) 2-2; FC Porto (H, Fr) 1-3.

Spurs' last six games: Partizan Belgrade (A, EL) 0-0; Sunderland (A) 2-2; Liverpool (H) 0-3; Limassol (H, EL) 3-0; Queens Park Rangers (H) 4-0; Limassol (A, EL) 1-2.

TEAM NEWS

Albion

Baggies’ boss Alan Irvine could have a fully fit squad to choose from for the first time this season for the clash at White Hart Lane.

Youssouf Mulumbu (hamstring), Victor Anichebe (hernia), Stephane Sessegnon (eye) and Boaz Myhill (knee) have all recovered from injury to take their place in the Albion squad.

Summer signings Joleon Lescott and Silvestre Varela could be also be involved for the first time with them both edging closer to full match fitness.

Squad: Foster, Myhill, Pocognoli, Gamboa, Dawson, Lescott, McAuley, Olsson, Davidson, Wisdom, Baird, Morrison, Mulumbu, Brunt, Blanco, Valera, Sessegnon, Samaras, Ideye, Anichebe, Berahino.

Tottenham Hotspur

England winger Andros Townsend is a doubt after suffering a dead leg in Thursday night’s Europa League draw against Partizan Belgrade in Serbia.

The quintet of Younes Kaboul, Danny Rose, Nacer Chadli, Mousa Dembele and Emmanuel Adebayor, who were all rested for the game in Belgrade, return to the Spurs’ squad.

Kyle Walker remains out due to his hip injury.

Squad: Lloris, Vorm, Dier, Naughton, Chiriches, Fazio, Kaboul, Vertonghen, Rose, Davies, Stambouli, Bentaleb, Paulinho, Dembele, Lamela, Lennon, Chadli, Townsend, Eriksen, Adebayor, Kane, Soldado.

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 6/1, Tottenham Win: 8/15, Draw: 11/4.

First Goalscorer

Albion: Berahino 10/1, Ideye 10/1, Anichebe 11/1, Samaras 11/1, Varela 14/1, Sessegnon 14/1, Blanco 14/1, Gardner 16/1, Morrison 20/1, Brunt 20/1, Mulumbu 25/1, Dorrans 25/1, Lescott 33/1, McAuley 33/1, Dawson 33/1.

Tottenham Hotspur: Adebayor 7/2, Kane 4/1, Soldado 9/2, Eriksen 11/2, Chadli 6/1, Lamela 13/2, Townsend 13/2, Paulinho 17/2, Lennon 10/1, Dembele 11/1, Capoue 14/1, Dier 16/1, Fazio 16/1, Vertonghen 20/1, Bentaleb 20/1, Rose 25/1, Kaboul 25/1, Stambouli 25/1, Davies 33/1, Naughton 33/1, Chiriches 33/1.

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REFEREE

Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)

Friend refereed two Albion games last season - the 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool in February and the 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton on the opening day of the season.

The Leicestershire official took charge of two Spurs' games last season - the 3-0 win over Stoke City at White Hart Lane in December and the 0-0 draw at Everton in November.

Friend has issued 13 yellow cards and no red in the four games he has officiated so far this season.

A full run down of Friend's record when taking charge of Albion games can be found here

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets are currently on general sale to Baggies' fans.

Seats in the upper tier are priced £37 adults, £22 OAPs and £20 under-18s whilst seats in the lower tier are priced £32 adults, £19 OAPs and £17 under-18s.

WEATHER FORECAST

Sunny intervals, 17°C.

FIXTURE HISTORY

Albion's last win at White Hart Lane came just under 30 years ago in November 1984, Derek Statham (penalty), Steve Mackenzie and David Cross the scorers in a 3-2 victory.

The Baggies have won only two of 16 Premier League matches against Spurs, and none of the last nine.

LAST MEETING AT WHITE HART LANE

Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Albion
Barclays Premier League
Thursday 26th December 2013, 3.00pm

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris; Walker, Chiriches, Dawson, Rose; Chadli (Lamela 75), Eriksen, Holtby (Bentaleb 62), Sigurdsson; Adebayor, Soldado. Subs not used: Friedel (gk), Fredericks, Naughton, Veljkovic, Capoue.

Goalscorer:  Eriksen 36

Booked: Eriksen 37 (foul), Walker 56 (foul), Soldado (87)

Albion: Foster; Reid, Dawson, Olsson (c), Lugano, Ridgewell; Amalfitano (Mulumbu 71), Yacob, Morrison; Gera (Sessegnon 77); Vydra (Berahino 83). Subs not used: Myhill (gk), McAuley, Brunt, Sinclair.

Goalscorer: Olsson 38

Booked: Reid 30 (foul), Olsson 67 (dissent)

Attendance: 35,545

Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)

Tim Sherwood's first game in full charge of Tottenham ended in disappointment as Emmanuel Adebayor's error gifted West Brom a valuable point at White Hart Lane. Adebayor scored two crucial goals in last week's 3-2 victory over Southampton, but he proved to be the foe on a rather underwhelming introduction to full-time management for Sherwood. Less than two minutes after Christian Eriksen put Spurs ahead, Adebayor woefully miscued a Morgan Amalfitano cross and Jonas Olsson tapped in easily from close range to score the final goal of this 1-1 draw.

Sherwood's appointment, on an 18-month contract, raised a few eyebrows when it was announced on Monday. The former Spurs midfielder made his desire to bring attacking football back to White Hart Lane clear in his programme notes. The home fans applauded the team's attempts to get the ball forward, but from this performance, it is clear that much work still has to be done if Sherwood is to achieve his goal of leading Tottenham into the Champions League. Adebayor had an off day up front while Roberto Soldado also failed to deliver. Eriksen's movement, and his stunning free-kick, deserved praise. But an attacking intent left gaping holes in the midfield which Albion exploited. Had Matej Vydra had a better game, or Hugo Lloris a worse one, this could have been another damaging defeat. The smattering of boos that rang out at the final whistle showed that Spurs fans have their concerns too. Tottenham go into the final match of the 2013 three points behind fifth. The gap to the top four will probably widen after tonight's game between Manchester City and Liverpool. West Brom will take confidence from this result, though, and whoever takes over as their new manager - with Pepe Mel the favourite - will be confident of avoiding the drop.

At the start of the afternoon Sherwood cut a calm figure as he emerged from the tunnel to take the seat he is contracted to occupy for the next 18 months. It took him just two minutes to get to his feet, though, as Spurs made a slow start. The Tottenham manager shouted at his players, telling them to get the ball out wide and penetrate the Albion defence. Sherwood lost his patience, yelling an expletive as West Brom took advantage of a wide-open midfield to run at the Tottenham back line. Vydra and Zoltan Gera played a one-two on the edge of the box, but Lloris raced off his line to tip the former Watford man's shot wide. Sherwood's nerves frayed further when Vlad Chiriches' mistake gave Gera a run at goal but Michael Dawson came to the rescue. Vydra found a way through the Spurs defence again but Lloris again raced off his line to deny the striker. Tottenham's supporters were getting anxious. The attacking intent was easy on the eye, but there was no end product and the open midfield made the home defence look hugely vulnerable. Nacer Chadli raised spirits momentarily when he sent a dipping ball into the box, but Craig Dawson cleared before Adebayor could convert. Gylfi Sigurdsson had a powerful shot at goal, but Olsson's face got in the way. The Baggies captain felt the full force of the shot and needed a couple of minutes to come around. When play resumed, West Brom went on the attack again and Vydra and Diego Lugano missed Liam Ridgewell's cross by a matter of inches. The former Birmingham man fulfilled his duties at the other end, throwing his body on the line to stop Soldado's goal-bound shot. Tottenham's fans then got the goal they yearned just after the half-hour. Referee Anthony Taylor blew for a late tackle by James Morrison on Kyle Walker. Eriksen whipped the ball over the wall and it hit the crossbar, bounced up off the ground and hit it again before nestling in the net. Albion were incensed with the original decision against Morrison, but were level less than two minutes later. Eriksen was penalised for a foul on Morrison. Amalfitano swung over a free-kick, Adebayor swung at the ball but failed to clear and Olsson had the easiest of tap-ins.

After the break West Brom continued to threaten. Lloris saved acrobatically to deny Steven Reid and Gera missed another chance from six yards. Tottenham resorted to long shots from Danny Rose and Walker. Sherwood replaced Holtby with 19-year-old midfielder Nabil Bentaleb. Reid was lucky to escape a second booking for a late sliding challenge that left Rose rolling around on the floor in agony. Erik Lamela came off the bench to try to turn the game in Tottenham's favour but still the hosts were weak in front of goal. Soldado went close inside the box on two occasions in the dying minutes, but there was no way through and a few boos rang out at the end.

Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

None.

PAST CONNECTIONS

Amongst the players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Gerry Armstrong, Freddie Cox, Garth Crooks, Tom Evans, Ruel Fox, Márton Fülöp, Charlie Hewitt, Colin Lyman, Chris Perry, Graham Roberts and Steve Walford.

ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

LAST TEN MATCHES AGAINST TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR