[ad_pod ]West Ham United fans may feel concerned following Tottenham Hotspur’s announcement that Christian Eriksen is fit for Saturday’s Premier League match.The midfielder has missed Spurs’ last three matches in all competitions with an abdominal problem, but is expected to play a part this weekend.
How do West Ham stop Eriksen?
The Denmark international may have been out of action for the past few weeks, but he is one of Tottenham’s biggest threats when on the pitch.
Eriksen has the freedom to roam, can shoot from distance and marshals the supply to Harry Kane up front.
If the midfielder can be kept quiet, then West Ham have a good chance of getting something out of the clash at the London Stadium.
The main man who will be tasked with keeping tabs on Eriksen is 19-year-old Declan Rice, who has made the holding role his own since coming into Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
The teenager has been composed on the ball and he will benefit from the fact that Eriksen does not have the quickest feet in the world.
With Mark Noble and Pedro Obiang sitting in midfield, Rice can focus on protecting the back line and breaking up play from Tottenham.
Should West Ham feel confident anyway?
Spurs are only two points off the top of the table in the Premier League, which suggests that the Hammers should not feel overly optimistic.
However, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have not set the world alight just yet, and prior to the Hammers’ blip against Brighton, they had taken points off Everton, Chelsea and Manchester United.
On top of that, in the last 16 meetings between the two clubs in all competitions, West Ham have earned more wins (7) than Tottenham (6).
In fact, the last two games between the pair ended in a draw and victory for the Hammers, who have won two of their last three clashes against Spurs on home soil.
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