Roshane Thomas, The Athletic

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Welcome back to '60 seconds on...' a new match preview where we'll tap into the knowledge of the people who know our opponents inside out.

Next up, the short trip to the London Stadium to take on West Ham as the Premier League returns after the international break - and that meant a quick call to Roshane Thomas - @RoshaneSport - West Ham correspondent at The Athletic...

What have you made of West Ham's season so far?

Roshane: "It's just about what we expected. It was always going to be a tough start, given the fixtures, plus the likes of Cresswell, Antonio, Ings all leaving, that's a strong leadership group, so it's almost a transitional season. What made the reaction worse was the opening day loss at Sunderland, particularly the manner of the goals conceded. Fans were thinking, 'here we go again'. The first two games, poor defending... but then Forest was a morale-boosting win."

Any of the new signings particularly caught your eye?

Roshane: "I like (El Hadji Malick) Diouf, the left-back. His best skill set is his crossing and I can definitely see him getting the best out of the attacking players like Callum Wilson, Jarod Bowen and Niclas Fullkrug - his cross led to Wilson's header against Forest. I can see him becoming a £50m player next summer. His trajection is high, 20 years old, he's caught my eye, for sure."

Anything different tactically this season?

Roshane: "In the first three matches against Sunderland, Chelsea and Wolves (Carabao Cup) it was the same wing-back system, but Graham Potter switched to a back four, 4-2-3-1, at Forest and a lot of fans felt the team looked so much better, settled, more organised. Crysencio Summerville came off the bench and looked good on the left, opposed to playing central in the wing-back system."

How big was the win at Forest last time out?

Roshane: "A lot of people believe it could be a turning point. It was a massive win, but even more pleasing was the manner of the performance, solid defensively, good going forward and that fact Graham Potter could bring on the likes of Wilson and Summerville and both had an impact... it's brought back a feel-good factor."

Notice you were in the away end at the City Ground - what's the mood at the moment?

Roshane: "Beforehand, a lot of fans were thinking, 'what loss will this be today?' to the team showing everyone what they can do. Lucas Paqueta was outstanding, after a lot of talk about him leaving the club, showed so much commitment. That was another factor behind the fans being so happy. I overheard one fan say, 'yeah, but we'll mess it up again against Spurs in two weeks', but hopefully West Ham will show that result wasn't a fluke."

Who would be your 'one to watch' on Saturday (apart from Mo Kudus!)?

Roshane: "Yeah, Mo will definitely be watched! That will be interesting. Under the radar - Konstantinos Mavropanos, at the back. He's looked very steady, especially at Forest and with Nayef Aguerd leaving (end of loan), it's a chance for him to win over the fans, and that would be a great story. For Spurs, Djed Spence has impressed me so much."

West Ham vs Spurs - just what is it about this game?

Roshane: "I see it as two brothers who just don't get on. They get invited around for family meals, they get told they have to sit together and they refuse. There's the antagonism, the rivarly, the atmosphere - those are the ingredients that make this match so exciting. It's always one to look out for."

Finally, how do you think it might play out?

Roshane: "My only worry is that after Forest, everyone's on a high, but then that all calms down in the international break. It's a case of what West Ham team turns up. If it's the team that played at Forest, then we're in for a great game, and West Ham will fancy their chances. If it's the team that showed up at Sunderland, then Spurs could run away with it. That's the key for me. I reckon it could be a draw."

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