Prediction: West Ham vs Tottenham

Verdict: Under 2.5 goals

Best Odds: 21/20

Bookmaker: Bet365

West Ham and Tottenham meet for the second time this month with a place in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup up for grabs. Mauricio Pochettino is preparing his side for an eight-day period that could define Tottenham’s season.

West Ham

Starting with Wednesday’s hosts, after slumping to a 1-0 loss at home to Tottenham last week, the Hammers are now without a win since their 3-2 victory over Manchester United last month. With Leicester’s Wilfred Ndidi scoring the 89th-minute equalizer at the King Power on Sunday, it has been their form in the final third that will be a huge concern for Manuel Pellegrini. With top goalscorerMarko Arnautović missing last weekend’s 1-1 draw with the Foxes, West Ham have managed to score just one goal in October. Enduring a difficult start to life under the former Manchester City boss, it has been West Ham’s inability to maintain a lead which has been one of their major problems. Although they may have played almost an hour with 10 men after Mark Noble’s dismissal, the Hammers have now lost eight points from leading positions in this season’s Premier League, more than any other side.

Team News

West Ham captain Mark Noble will miss the game through suspension after he was sent off in the 1-1 league draw with Leicester on Saturday.

But midfielder Pedro Obiang is expected to be fit despite picking up a knock.

Andriy Yarmolenko (Achilles), Winston Reid (knee), Andy Carroll (ankle), Carlos Sanchez (knee), Manuel Lanzini (knee) and Jack Wilshere (ankle) are all long-term absentees.

Tottenham

As for Wednesday’s visitors, while on paper this might be Tottenham’s brightest start to a new campaign, many have been left underwhelmed by Mauricio Pochettino’s sides performances. Suffering more late heartbreak in their 2-2 draw with PSV last week, the Lilywhites have failed to win any of their three matches in the Champions League and qualification now looks almost impossible. Failing to add any new additions to their squad over the summer, Spurs also flattered to deceive in Monday night’s 1-0 loss at home to Manchester City. Outplayed for large spells, it could be their wasteful form in the final third giving Pochettino the biggest headache. Managing to come away with an uninspired pair of 1-0 wins over the Hammers and Cardiff, they are struggling to find someone who can fill the void when Harry Kane isn’t firing. The England captain has one goal in his last six appearances for club and country. While Tottenham will be playing their second game within the past 48 hours, Pochettino has insisted that there is no excuse and has promised to name a strong XI on Wednesday.

Team News

Tottenham’s midfield duo of Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli could return to Spurs’ starting XI after returning from injury.

Danny Rose may have to wait until the weekend before he comes back into the side after a recent groin problem.

Jan Vertonghen meanwhile remains sidelined until December.

Key Factors to Consider

• This is the second consecutive season West Ham and Tottenham have met in the League Cup fourth round – last season, West Ham came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Wembley.
• West Ham have eliminated Tottenham on the past two occasions they’ve met in the League Cup, having also won in the quarter-finals in 2013-14.
• Spurs have won only two of their past 13 League Cup matches against fellow Premier League opposition (D3, L8).
• Tottenham have seen fewer than 3 goals in 4 of their last 6 competitive matches.
• Five of the last seven meetings between the two sides in which West Ham have been the host have ended with under three goals after 90 minutes.

Conclusion

Given both sides sluggish start to the new campaign, we are expecting another cagey encounter on Wednesday. With both sides playing their second match within a handful of days, some level of fatigue is expected. With five of the last seven meetings seeing under three goals at full-time, we’re backing under 2.5 goals at the London Stadium.

Verdict: Under 2.5 goals

Best Odds: 21/20

Bookmaker: Bet365