Alan Shearer has weighed in on this weekend’s London derby, as Tottenham Hotspur’s clash against West Ham United comes under the spotlight with pressure continuing to mount in north London.
Thomas Frank is a man under pressure, given how the last six months have gone for him at Tottenham Hotspur.
The Dane currently has Spurs with just one shot at silverware, with Tottenham remaining in the league phase of the Champions League after being knocked out of both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.
Their league form has been anything but convincing as well, with Spurs sitting in the bottom half of the table after 21 league matches, and their next game has been labelled as crucial by Alan Shearer.
Alan Shearer predicts Tottenham vs West Ham
Tottenham take on West Ham United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Shearer has shared his prediction while writing for Metro.
Assessing the pressure on both managers and the potential consequences of defeat, the former England striker highlighted the importance of the occasion and the fragile form of both sides.
“I fear for whichever manager loses this game. Particularly if they lose in an unpleasant manner. It’s tough to call. Spurs have been really poor at home, but West Ham don’t fill me with any confidence either. I’ll go for a must-win home victory for Spurs.
“If West Ham get beaten against Spurs, I think they’re done. The one thing working in their favour is that it’s away from home, against one of their London rivals and they know how much pressure Spurs are under. That could work in West Ham’s favour but I still think the home side will have enough.”
Prediction – Tottenham win
Pressure builds on Spurs ahead of derby
While the onus will be on Tottenham to secure a victory on Saturday afternoon, the reality is that both sides have been in very poor form.
However, it is Spurs who have fared slightly better across their last five outings, having managed just two defeats in that time, alongside two draws and one win.
West Ham United, on the other hand, remain winless in their last five games, having managed just one draw in that period, and on the balance of play, Frank should be getting the better of Nuno’s side.
Failure to do so will only see the Dane come under even more pressure from an already dissatisfied Tottenham fanbase.