Prediction: West Bromwich vs Tottenham



Verdict: Draw

Best Odds: 19/5

Bookmaker: William Hill

Two wins in last three helped West Bromwich keep their survival hopes alive, and the Baggies now need to win both remaining games to have any chance of beating the drop. Spurs, on the other hand, need two more victories to secure a top 4 finish, so chances are we will see an entertaining clash at the Hawthorns.

West Bromwich

Before the current campaign started, nobody really tipped West Bromwich to go down, but the team have been largely disappointing for big periods of the season. A shocking eight-match losing run in the league saw the Baggies lose all hope of avoiding relegation, but the club chiefs made one last attempt to shake things up as they sacked Alan Pardew and appointed Darren Moore as their caretaker boss.

That proved a very good decision as the talented coach helped the players restore some of the lost confidence, which resulted in a very good run of two wins and as many draws in next four games. Sitting five points behind safety with just two games to go, West Brom’s chances of surviving the current campaign are still slim, but at least now they’ve got hope and we definitely expect to see a solid performance from the Baggies in the all-important clash with Tottenham.

Team News

Gareth Barry and James Morrison both miss out through injury, but Nacer Chadli could face his former club having returned to the squad.



Tottenham

With Tottenham closing in on Champions League qualification, this can be described as a successful season for the club, although Mauricio Pochettino and his men would have liked to have come closer to new champions Manchester City. Even though the Citizens have been in outstanding form this term, Spurs haven’t quite proved they are ready to mount a serious title challenge, and that is the main reason for concern.

Granted, as things stand now, Tottenham will probably pip Chelsea to the final Champions League berth and also finish above arch rivals Arsenal, but it is clear that there is still a lot of room for improvement. Heading into the final three fixtures against West Bromwich, Newcastle United and Leicester City, Spurs sit five points clear of fifth-placed Chelsea, while they will also attempt to catch Liverpool, who will be more concerned with the fight for Champions League trophy. After crashing out of the FA Cup, Tottenham restored some of the lost confidence with a 2-0 triumph over Watford, but they will not have an easy job vs revived West Brom.

Team News

Mauricio Pochettino is sweating over the fitness of Moussa Dembele and Danny Rose, whereas Harry Winks is definitely out.

Key Factors to Consider

• West Brom won eight points in last four games
• They had lost eight games in a row before Darren Moore took over
• Both teams scored in Tottenham’s last four away games
• West Brom winless in last five meetings with Spurs (D4 L1)
• 1-1 was the match result in each of those four draws

Conclusion

West Bromwich have shown tremendous improvement in recent weeks and with their survival hopes still alive, we expect them to give Spurs a real run for their money. Tottenham have suffered a dip in form of late, and with four of their last five meetings with the Baggies ending all squared, we expect the trend to continue.

Verdict: Draw

Best Odds: 19/5

Bookmaker: William Hill