Football Preview | West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur Preview

A new era is about to start for Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur return to action on Saturday evening for the first time since Daniel Levy’s abrupt departure, with a London derby against West Ham United providing the backdrop.

Author | Greg S

Stadium | London Stadium

The international break has brought sweeping changes behind the scenes at Spurs, leaving the club in a period of transition. By contrast, West Ham arrive with momentum after securing an unexpected first win of the campaign.

Can Spurs become more consistent?

Daniel Levy’s final game as executive chairman proved an underwhelming occasion, as Tottenham fell to a 1-0 home defeat against Bournemouth. Evanilson’s goal ended Spurs’ perfect start to the 2025-26 campaign and handed Thomas Frank and his players a sharp reminder of the challenges ahead.

The narrow margin was deceptive. Tottenham looked flat for long spells and struggled to impose themselves, with the visitors deserving of their victory.

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The defeat also highlighted a troubling trend. Spurs have now lost 17 of their last 23 Premier League matches against sides other than newly promoted teams, while their recent record in London derbies is equally bleak, with just three wins from their last 16.

“After bringing in Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani, Frank suddenly has a wealth of attacking options, but it will take some trial and error to figure out the best combination, especially with the Champions League coming up,” said Pete, a Tottenham fan.

“We Spurs fans know all about waiting for success, and patience will be needed while Frank works out how all the pieces, especially the new ones, fit together. It is a puzzle that will take time.”

“There are no easy games in the Premier League, but the next few fixtures give Frank the chance to experiment with our forward line and also make a real statement about what this team can do.”#

The West Ham perspective

Graham Potter’s side went into their previous fixture under pressure, having been soundly beaten by Sunderland and Chelsea before bowing out of the EFL Cup against Wolves. Yet they responded in emphatic fashion, striking three times without reply against Nottingham Forest. Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Callum Wilson were the scorers on an evening that also doubled as Nuno Espírito Santo’s farewell.

The Hammers will still still be looking to improve the overall mood at the London Stadium. They have failed to win in any of their last six Premier League matches at home. 

Speaking about the win against Forest, West Ham fan Jamie Pugh said: “That win was a lot more than just a way off the bottom of the table. You could argue it was a shot of life into our season.”

“Despite the negativity off the pitch, I go into this match with a positive mood. These are the kind of matches that can bring everyone together. Or at the very least, make us forget some of our problems.