Tottenham saw an impressive five-match winning streak snapped in dramatic fashion before the international break as they threw away a two-goal lead at Brighton, completely collapsing in the second half to lose 3-2.
Ange Postecoglou will be looking for an instant reaction from his side, as will an expectant crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, as the Lilywhites prepare for a derby against fierce rivals West Ham.
The Irons earned a paradoxical result to their rivals last time out, snapping a five-match winless run by thrashing Ipswich 4-1, and, despite a mixed start to the season, Julen Lopetegui’s men may be quietly confident for Saturday, having won this fixture 2-1 last term.
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Tottenham to win and both teams to score @ 6/4
Michail Antonio anytime goalscorer @ 16/5
Spurs likely to land a thrilling London derby
While West Ham dug deep to win at Tottenham last term, that result looks an anomaly in the grand scheme of things, with Spurs winning four and drawing the other of the pair’s previous five meetings in north London.
The Hammers are also poor travellers, losing five and winning just one of their last eight away games, making this trip extremely daunting for a side who have failed to find stability in the early weeks of the Lopetegui era.
The shift in style from David Moyes to Lopetegui has been difficult for West Ham, who have also attempted to integrate nine new signings into their squad. A 4-1 win over Ipswich last time was a step in the right direction, but they are likely to come crashing back down to Earth at their rivals’ home.
However, while Spurs are fancied to win this thanks to a more settled squad and obvious style under Postecoglou, their defence has continued to look shaky and they may be breached by the Hammers.
Tottenham have managed just three clean sheets in their last 18 Premier League matches and given both teams to score has been a winning bet in five of the last six head-to-heads and five of West Ham’s last six outings, it could pay to back the Hammers to notch a goal in their derby-day defeat.
In-form Antonio can strike while the iron’s hot
Those looking for a Hammer to notch are likely to gravitate towards top scorer Jarrod Bowen, who has three goals this season and bagged 16 in the Premier League last term.
However, at the prices, it could pay to back Michail Antonio to be the standout star for the visitors in north London against an opponent he has haunted on plenty of occasions over the years.
Antonio was famously the first away scorer at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019 and his record of six goals in 14 games against the Lilywhites is a more-than-respectable return playing for a side who regularly go into this fixture as the underdogs.
The Jamaican forward had endured a difficult start to the season but looked back to his best against Ipswich, scoring the opener and troubling the Tractor Boys’ backline throughout.
A repeat of that performance could cause an occasionally error-prone Spurs defence plenty of issues on Saturday and Antonio is a decent price to find the net at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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