Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United will both be desperate for a win in their Premier League match this weekend.
Spurs have drawn all four of their matches since beating Manchester City at White Hart Lane and slipped five points behind in the title race.
West Ham, meanwhile, have been struggling at the other end of the league and currently sit in 17th place, just a point above the relegation zone.
In this fixture last season, Spurs ran out 4-1 winners, but it will be interesting to see what side Mauricio Pochettino picks with a number of his charges having been away on international duty.
Slaven Bilic will also have emphasised the importance of getting something from the game, with the Hammers players already likely to be pumped up for a London derby.
We take a look at four key battles that could decide what should be a very close match.
KYLE WALKER VS DIMITRI PAYET
You’d be forgiven for thinking the battle between Dimitri Payet and Kyle Walker is purely that of attack vs defence.
But that may not be the case on Saturday, with Walker acting as a strong attacking outlet for Spurs – recording ten key passes and two assists already this season.
The rapid right-back even found the net in this fixture last year, so it will be interesting to see how much effort Payet puts into tracking back, despite being the Hammers’ chief creative force.
PEDRO OBIANG VS MOUSA DEMBELE
Unless Pochettino keeps the three-at-the-back formation he employed in the North London derby, there could be a mismatch in midfield.
The Spurs manager usually favours three men in the middle of the park, while Christian Eriksen also has license to drift inside.
Bilic has been pairing Mark Noble and Pedro Obiang. The latter and more defensive of the two may have a lot of work cut out against the likes of Mousa Dembele, who hounded Arsenal’s midfield for 90 minutes and won a penalty.
HARRY KANE VS WINSTON REID
Harry Kane loves playing West Ham, having scored three goals in his last three fixtures against them.
The 23-year-old also has the advantage of being rested over the international break, with Gareth Southgate sending the striker home as he continues his return to full fitness.
Kane will likely be facing up to three centre-backs on Saturday and will probably be embroiled in an aerial battle with Winston Reid – West Ham’s conductor at the back.
Danny Rose V Michail Antonio
Antonio has been in fine form this season, topping West Ham’s goalscoring charts with five goals in eleven Premier League appearances.
Most of those goals have come with his head and as he is coming up against a small full-back in Danny Rose this weekend, he will fancy his chances of netting a few more.
Whilst Rose is no slouch in the air, there’s no doubt that Antonio has the advantage.
That being said, few full-backs in the Premier League carry the same attacking threat as the Spurs man, so Antonio’s ability to effectively track back will be tested as much as Rose’s weaknesses in the air.
This should make for a very interesting battle on Saturday evening.
