Spurs to edge David Moyes closer to West Ham exit
Tottenham Hotspur must dust themselves down after yet another disappointing display and result has left them with a difficult task in the second leg of their last 16 Champions League tie with AC Milan. On Sunday afternoon, they'll host London rivals West Ham United in the Premier League, who, despite heavy investment once more, are only two points above the drop zone with a goal return of less than one per game. Read our preview here:
Skipp's Sarr in
There were two small crumbs of comfort for fans following that 1-0 loss in midweek, namely the promising performances of midfielders Oliver Skipp and Pape Sarr. The young midfield pair haven't had many opportunities under Antonio Conte this term to show what they're capable of, but the Italian head coach, who is recovering in his native country from surgery, might turn to them more often, especially if more senior figures continue to underwhelm. Skipp is likely to fight it out with Pierre-Emile Højbjerg for a spot, but Sarr should keep his, especially with Rodrigo Bentancur now out until 2023/2024. Cristian Romero will return to the back three after serving his suspension.
Emerson, begin again
The pressure is building on David Moyes to arrest the Irons' listless slide towards the bottom of the pile, and he'll hope the creditable 1-1 draws with both Newcastle United and Chelsea in their past two league games serve as a springboard to do just that. The veteran manager could revert to a back three and match the home side's shape, with Ben Johnson supporting Emerson down the left as the wide centre-back on the flank. The Brazilian's performances have seen an uptick recently, which culminated in a goal against his former club last weekend. However, the struggle is most keenly felt in attack - no player has more than four goals in the league, and many of the candidates to improve that dire statistic are off-colour, including Jarrod Bowen and Gianluca Scamacca.
Betting tip
These are really the kinds of games Spurs must win if they're to maintain any pretensions of getting back into the top four. Casumo have odds of 9.00 for a keenly fought 2-1 win for Conte's men.
