Paul Merson has backed West Ham United to pile further misery on Tottenham Hotspur, tipping the Hammers to edge their Premier League clash this weekend in a fiercely contested London derby.
Tottenham Hotspur are set to face West Ham United for the second time this season in the Premier League.
When these two sides last met, Spurs came out on top, hammering the Hammers 4-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma, Alphonse Areola’s own goal, and a 60th-minute strike from Heung-min Son wrapped up a dominant performance.
Since that clash, the fortunes of both clubs have taken a steep dive. Tottenham Hotspur now find themselves in 16th place, just one point above West Ham United, who sit 17th in the Premier League table.
It was only 65 days ago that Tomas Soucek made clear West Ham United’s ambition to finish above Spurs.
However, the stakes are now even higher, as another defeat for Tottenham would mark their 20th League loss of the campaign – a feat they have never endured in the modern Premier League era.
Paul Merson predicts West Ham win vs Tottenham in Premier League derby
Football pundit Paul Merson, writing in his column on Sportskeeda, has shared his thoughts ahead of this weekend’s derby, offering a bleak prediction for Spurs.
The former Arsenal midfielder believes West Ham United will come out on top in what he called one of the club’s biggest games of the season. Despite West Ham’s struggles, Merson insists they will find the edge to see off Tottenham.
He said: “This is one of West Ham’s biggest games of the season – Tottenham Hotspur at home in the Premier League! And this will hurt Spurs fans because they have to completely write this game off, unless they beat Bodo/Glimt by a huge margin in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.
“Spurs beating Bodo/Glimt by a huge margin is a possibility though. Bodo/Glimt are a much better team at home and if Spurs win 3-0 in north London, that could settle the tie in my opinion! But the question is, will Tottenham turn up? We know how inconsistent they can be, so it is not a foregone conclusion that they will go through.
“West Ham have been terrible all season but I am backing them to win because I do not think Spurs will prioritise this game.”
Score prediction: West Ham United 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 14 |  Man UtdManchester United | 34 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 39 | 47 | -8 | 39 |
| 15 |  EvertonEverton | 34 | 8 | 14 | 12 | 34 | 41 | -7 | 38 |
| 16 |  TottenhamTottenham | 34 | 11 | 4 | 19 | 62 | 56 | 6 | 37 |
| 17 |  West HamWest Ham | 34 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 39 | 58 | -19 | 36 |
| 18 |  IpswichIpswich | 34 | 4 | 9 | 21 | 33 | 74 | -41 | 21 |
Europa League form adds pressure on Ange Postecoglou ahead of Spurs derby
Spurs did beat Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night, sealing a 3-1 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
However, the tie remains on a knife-edge, with the Norwegian side capable of scoring two or three goals at home, as shown in their matches against Olympiacos and Lazio.
Ange Postecoglou is likely to rotate his squad, knowing the League holds little left to fight for. With the second leg of the Europa League semi-final looming, preserving key players will take precedence.
A weakened Tottenham side would give West Ham United the perfect opening to capitalise. It has been a frustrating season for both clubs, but a win here would offer West Ham fans some solace.
On the other hand, another defeat for Spurs could see them slide to one of their worst ever finishes in Premier League history.