How Tottenham could line up in Premier League clash vs West Ham (4-2-3-1) | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur are set to host West Ham United in what has been billed as a battle between two under-fire managers.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank and his counterpart in East London are staring down the barrel, and the result of this contest could decide their futures.

Spurs fans have had little to cheer about over the past couple of months.

Frank has failed to reverse their fall from grace coming into the new year, with Tottenham languishing in the bottom half of the table.

The North Londoners have won just seven of their 21 Premier League games this season (D6, L8), picking up 27 points in the process.

They’re still waiting for their first win of 2026 after a frustrating run of results across all competitions.

Tottenham started the year with back-to-back draws against Brentford and Sunderland before losing each of their last two games against Bournemouth and Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round.

Frank’s side went into the half-time interval with a two-goal deficit courtesy of goals from Emiliano Buendia and the in-form Morgan Rogers.

Wilson Odobert offered a lifeline nine minutes after the restart, but it wasn’t enough to spark a resurgence as Tottenham crashed out of the FA Cup third round for the first time in over a decade.

There’s a general feeling that Frank is on borrowed time, and anything but a win in the London derby could prematurely end his Tottenham spell.

How Tottenham could line up

Frank’s hopes of overseeing a victory are boosted by Tottenham’s decent record against West Ham.

They’re unbeaten in their last four league games against the Hammers (W2, D2), including the emphatic 3-0 win in the reverse fixture at the London Stadium.

But Tottenham’s recent form and West Ham’s desperation to survive relegation suggest it may not be as easy for Frank’s side this time around.

It doesn’t help that Tottenham will be without at least six players for the match.

Guglielmo Vicario should retain his place in goal, with Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Djed Spence lining up in defence.

Tottenham’s £35 million addition, Conor Gallagher, will likely start on the bench, with Joao Palhinha and Archie Gray set to anchor the midfield.