Less than 48 hours after completing their Premier League fixtures against Manchester City, Tottenham find themselves back in action as they begin their Carabao Cup campaign with a trip to West Ham.
The Hammers were last in action on Saturday, where they earned a 1-1 draw against Leicester in a match that will be remembered as the stage of the tragic helicopter crash outside the ground that killed six, including Foxes owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
Both of these clubs have been starved of success in recent years, with Spurs’ last silverware coming in this competition more than a decade ago, while an FA Cup win in 1980 was the last time Mauricio Pochettino’s side had to break open the trophy cabinet.
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It may ‘only’ be the Carabao Cup, but victory at Wembley on February 24 would mean a great deal to both teams.
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be streamed live on ESPN+.
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will not be broadcast live.
Squads & Team News
West Ham are once again struggling with selection issues, although they welcome back Pedro Obiang after calf trouble.
Jack Wilshere, however, is not available to feature and Carlos Sanchez is a long-term injury victim in midfield, where Mark Noble is banned after being sent off at the weekend.
Winston Reid, Andriy Yarmolenko and Manuel Lanzini are all still absent, and it is too soon for either Lucas Perez or Andy Carroll to play.
In addition, leading marksman Marko Arnautovic has been ill and is out of the lineup.
West Ham XI: Adrian, Fredericks, Ogbonna, Diop, Masuaku; Obiang, Rice, Diangana, Antonio, Anderson, Hernandez.
Dele Alli made his return to the Tottenham squad on Monday, coming off the bench against Manchester City, though with Mauricio Pochettino keen to stress caution, it remains to be seen how long he will remain in the match.
Danny Rose has also been struggling with injury of late and is out of the lineup.
Tottenham XI: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Sanchez, Foyth, Walker-Peters, Wanyama, Winks, Eriksen, Son, Dele, Llorente.
Betting & Match Odds
Visitors Tottenham are favourites to win the game according to bet365 , who price them at 6/4. West Ham are 13/5 to win at home and a draw is available at 6/4.
Click here to see more offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.
Match Preview
Tottenham go into this encounter with speculation over the future of head coach Mauricio Pochettino mounting. Julen Lopetegui’s exit at Real Madrid has created a vacuum at the Bernabeu that needs filled within a fortnight, and with talks over Antonio Conte proving more complicated than expected, the Argentine is reportedly the man that Los Blancos are targeting.
Spurs have had a difficult few months, having failed to complete a single signing in the summer transfer window, then found themselves playing at Wembley for longer than anticipated. On Monday, they tackled Manchester City on a pitch wholly unsuitable for Premier League football the day following an NFL match.
Meanwhile, the London side lie fifth in the Premier League standings and face a major fight to qualify from a Champions League group from which they have claimed only one point from their first three matches.
Although they successfully tied Dele Alli down to a new deal that runs until 2024, they have greater concerns than a Carabao Cup on Wednesday, which comes hot on the tail of a tough league defeat and in the midst of a busy period of games.
West Ham, meanwhile, will be eager to negotiate the match without aggravating an injury situation that has troubled manager Manuel Pellegrini for much of this campaign. Two wins from the opening 10 Premier League fixtures see him under some pressure for results already.