West Han United will face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League today at the London Stadium. Kick-off is at 2 pm UK time.
The two teams go into this fixture separated by a point, with Tottenham two places better off in seventh.
And yet, the the two clubs are perceived differently. West Ham, under David Moyes, are regarded as a side punching above their weight, while Spurs, now managed by Nuno Espirito Santos are perceived as under-performing.
West Ham have the added burden of having to cope with the demand of European football for the first time in years. So far, they have coped with the challenge admirably, having got maximum points from their Europa League campaign including a convincing win over Belgian side Genk on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Spurs sent a second-string outfit to play Vitesse Arnhem in the Europa Conference League and suffered an embarrassing defeat.
That decision may be vindicated if the first-team players rested in that match helped earn three points in this match. Otherwise, questions will be raised yet again.
Their record in London derbies so far this season has been terrible – played three, lost three, nine goals conceded – so they will be looking for a marked improvement in this game.
They did win 3-2 at Newcastle last weekend but, for all the euphoria surrounding them, Tottenham remain one of the worst teams in the league at the moment.
At the same time, West Ham gained an impressive away win at Everton, one of Moyes’s former clubs. Declan Rice, captaining the side this season, again turning in an impressive performance.
Prediction
West Ham fans have a long-standing rivalry with Tottenham. They will relish being back in the stands for this game. In theory, this should be a close match, but it may depend on which version of Spurs turns up.
If Harry Kane and Son Heung-min are given the right service and are in the mood, they can inflict damage on the Hammers back line. But if the attitude is not right, West Ham have the players to make them pay, and the Tottenham defenders can expect a physical battle with Michael Antonio.
The home side will begin favourites for this match.