West Ham Zone

West Ham United are in trouble on the pitch this season.

West Ham were battered 3-0 by Tottenham at the London Stadium on Saturday, with any hope that was restored with the win at Nottingham Forest before the international break being evaporated.

The pressure on Graham Potter is mounting by the day, after he has won just six times in 24 attempts since his appointment in January.

Before the Tottenham defeat, in which Tomas Soucek was also sent off, West Ham made an announcement that has received huge praise in the media.

West Ham receive huge admiration for banning half-and-half scarves

The Hammers surprised fans with an announcement before the defeat to Spurs, saying that fans would not be able to take half-and-half scarves into the London Stadium.

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The decision was taken in an attempt to stop Tottenham fans invading the home end, after tickets for Saturday night’s fixture dropped to general sale.

Many were pleased with the decision, with half-and-half scarves seen mainly as a stain on the world of football, and Dave Kidd voiced his delight at the move.

Writing in The Sun’s print edition (14 September, page 56), Kidd said: “A popular move from West Ham to ban half-and-half scarves from the London Stadium before yesterday’s derby against Tottenham.

“These woollen knock-offs are hated by loyal supporters and loved by the tourists. Yet at every Premier League club, the tourist element is welcomed with open arms because they spend more on merchandise than the week-in-week-outers.

“So, surely this isn’t a cynical move, billed as a crowd-pleaser, which simply means more money will be spent in the official club store rather than on moody gear?”

West Ham need to keep this up to send a message

Half-and-half scarves are one of the worst things in football and are loathed by most supporters across the world.

These scarves are a signal for increased tourism, whilst simultaneously pushing out the fans that back the team every week, no matter the outcome.

West Ham’s message here is a great one, but doing this for just one game is not enough to drive out this issue from English football.

Instead, continuing this approach for the forthcoming fixtures at the London Stadium will send the message that half-and-half scarves are not wanted in East London, which could see other clubs follow suit.

West Ham are set to come up against Tottenham in their next Premier League outing.

West Ham will host Tottenham at the London Stadium in a return to Premier League action after the international break on 13 September.

This comes nearly two weeks after Graham Potter oversaw West Ham’s 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

It is fair to say that this result came out of the blue, with Callum Wilson netting his first goal for West Ham in the process.

The result and performance could stand the Irons in good stead against Spurs in the upcoming London derby, although Jeff Stelling isn’t so sure.

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Jeff Stelling backs Tottenham to beat West Ham and praises Lucas Paqueta

West Ham could change their starting 11 to face Tottenham after such a great afternoon in the East Midlands last time out.

This could also be the case for Thomas Frank’s men after they fell to a hugely frustrating defeat against Bournemouth at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

An Evanilson goal after just five minutes proved to be the difference in N17, in what was also seen as a shock result for a side from the capital.

In the week before, Spurs secured a victory against Manchester City, as Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha secured a 2-0 win away from home.

And Stelling has based his prediction on that result by backing Tottenham to beat the Hammers in his weekly talkSPORT prediction on 11 September.

He said: “The Hammers looked reborn in the second half against Nottingham Forest. Lucas Paqueta is on fire, as they say, three in three, he only scored five in the entirety of last season.

“West Ham have only won at home twice in the whole of 2025, and if Spurs rediscover the form they showed at the Etihad, I think they’ll win. Sorry Hammers fans, I’m going West Ham nil, Tottenham two.”

Jeff Stelling previously doubted Lucas Paqueta

Although Stelling was complimentary of Paqueta in this instance, the former Gillette Soccer Saturday host hasn’t always rated the Hammers playmaker.

After their win over Newcastle in November 2024, Stelling questioned West Ham’s midfield and claimed he thought they would take a ‘battering’.

“When I looked at that West Ham midfield that started of Paqueta, Soler and Soucek, I thought this was going to be a battering but how wrong. They all did great, Soler I thought was terrific,” Stelling said.

Stelling was made to eat his words in this instance, and when they host Tottenham this weekend, Paqueta will be fuelled even more to help his side secure all three points.

Daniel Levy last week rather shockingly left West Ham’s fierce rivals Tottenham.

Levy left Spurs on Thursday night, after nearly 25 years as chairman of Tottenham, opening up talks of a possible takeover in North London.

West Ham are under the stewardship of David Sullivan, but there has been talk of PCP International launching a takeover bid in the past.

PSC are headed by Amanda Staveley, who also played a part in Newcastle United’s takeover.

Levy’s departure has led to Staveley’s consortium being rumoured to take over Spurs, and she has addressed the rumours publicly for the first time.

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Amanda Staveley confirms PCP International don’t intend to make Tottenham offer

Staveley has confirmed on Monday that PCP are not intending to launch a bid to take over Tottenham Hotspur in the immediate future.

Staveley was instrumental in pushing through the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund’s takeover of fellow Premier League rival Newcastle, but a second takeover is not on the cards in North London.

Tottenham fans have been lobbying for years against the ENIC ownership and Joe Lewis, but it looks like they are set to keep control of the Lilywhites for the foreseeable future.

West Ham were linked with a takeover by the same consortium just 12 months ago, when David Moyes left the club after four and a half years in charge at the London Stadium.

PCP investment in West Ham would transform the club

David Sullivan has been much maligned as West Ham owner due to his lack of a clear vision and reckless spending on flop signings.

The truth is, in a Premier League where money is quickly dominating, the Hammers are falling behind and stagnating under Sullivan‘s limited financial resources.

As seen at Newcastle, Saudi Arabian owners are willing to invest heavily to achieve the results desired by both themselves and the fans, with the Magpies winning the Carabao Cup and qualifying for the Champions League on two occasions.

There have been good moments under Sullivan, but if the Saudis return to East London, he needs to listen to what they have to say.

With Staveley’s group not interested in Tottenham, the question now is whether there is still any sort of interest in West Ham?

Early West Ham predicted XI vs Tottenham: Deadline day signing makes debut, Callum Wilson starts

West Ham United are looking to secure a rare home win as they host London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

West Ham thrashed Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the City Ground to get their season up and running after a horrendous start, moving them off the bottom of the Premier League table.

The pressure on Graham Potter had been intensifying since the season opener at Sunderland, but the win at Forest relieved some of the pressure ahead of a tricky spell, which includes Spurs and Arsenal.

West Ham’s last home game saw Chelsea run out 5-1 winners, and Potter will be hoping for a much better performance against Tottenham on Saturday evening.

Igor Julio could start with two changes from Nottingham Forest win

Igor Julio joined West Ham on deadline day from Brighton, in a deal that caused a ripple effect across the Premier League due to Liverpool’s deal for Marc Guehi.

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Julio was a much-needed signing for the Hammers, given how leaky their defence had been before the win at Forest, and could be in line to make his West Ham debut against their long-term rivals.

West Ham’s current injury list:

Konstantinos Mavropanos is likely to be the man to drop out of the lineup at his expense, with Max Kilman set to partner the Brazilian in a four at the back formation.

Callum Wilson is also set to make his first start as a West Ham player after arriving from Newcastle United in the summer, with Niclas Fullkrug out with a calf injury.

Callum Wilson can make striker position his own

Wilson’s goal at the City Ground will be crucial for his confidence ahead of what looks to be his first start of the season.

The striker has been used in a bit-part role since arriving in the summer, with Fullkrug being the preferred choice, but with the German now sidelined, Wilson has an opportunity prove himself to Potter.

Wilson brings a different element to the West Ham frontline in terms of all-around play, and if he can get firing at the London Stadium, he could be the key to West Ham’s survival.

West Ham vs Tottenham: Early weather forecast, ticket details, travel information

West Ham United host fierce rivals Tottenham in their second home game of the Premier League season.

West Ham will be looking to build on their 3-0 victory at Nottingham Forest before the international break, which lifted them off the bottom of the Premier League table.

Graham Potter remains under pressure at West Ham, however, after winning just six games since arriving in January, and needs to build a streak of good performances to secure his position long-term.

West Ham lost their first home game 5-1 to Chelsea, and Potter will be hoping he doesn’t end up on the wrong end of another London derby hammering.

Tottenham got the better of West Ham last season, with the 1-1 draw at the London Stadium following a 4-1 Lilywhites win in North London.

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Poor weather expected in London prior to West Ham vs Tottenham

The United Kingdom has seen some lovely weather during the start of the season, but now that autumn is upon us, that is set to come to an end.

According to the Met Office, London is expected to be hit with rainfall before Saturday’s 5:30pm kick-off, with a 50 per cent chance of rain expected in the capital.

It is expected to be warm, however, with highs of 17°C expected between 4pm and 7pm, while the rain is expected to dry up before the final whistle in East London.

Tickets still available for Tottenham clash

Fans are still able to purchase limited tickets ahead of Saturday’s clash, with the game being moved to 5:30pm for coverage on Sky Sports.

Tickets will cost between £50 and £105 for adults. You can buy tickets online or by calling 0333 030 1966.

With the Hammers notably struggling at home in 2025, the fans are needed in order to get a result against one of West Ham’s biggest rivals.

Travel information for West Ham vs Tottenham

Fans are encouraged to use public transport links to reach the London Stadium on Saturday evening, and to arrive in good time to avoid queues outside the ground.

Stratford, Stratford International, Stratford High St, Pudding Mill Lane, West Ham and Hackney Wick stations are all within walking distance of the ground.

With Tottenham fans also expected to use the underground to travel to East London, all fans will need to be on their best behaviour to ensure everyone’s safety.

With travel network delays a possibility, fans are reminded to use TfL’s real-time updates to stay informed prior to arrival.

West Ham United Women are looking to improve on last season’s ninth-placed finish in the WSL.

West Ham improved on an 11th-placed finish in 2023/24 with an eight-point jump last season, finishing comfortably above Crystal Palace in 12th by 13 points.

Rehanne Skinner‘s side has been bolstered in the transfer market, with the standout signing being that of Sarah Brasero from Estoril Praia on a three-year deal.

West Ham travel to Tottenham Hotspur to open their Women’s Super League season on Sunday, and the Opta Supercomputer has predicted the Hammers’ upcoming campaign.

West Ham set to struggle this season

The Hammers will use their trip to London rivals Tottenham as a test to see how their season will go.

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The East Londoners finished above Spurs last season, as the Lilywhites finished 11th, although they were still comfortably above Palace in the only relegation place.

The Opta Supercomputer, however, has predicted Skinner’s side to finish below Tottenham this time round, with another relegation battle on the cards in East London.

Opta have predicted West Ham will finish 11th, although the chances of finishing 12th are slightly higher at 15.4 per cent, with Leicester City expected to be relegated, with a 25.8 per cent chance of finishing rock bottom this season.

Hammers fans need to be patient this season

Skinner’s side are going through a period of transition, as they look to develop their youth talent ready to surge up the table.

The Hammers have already made moves to secure their immediate future talent, signing Brasero while also locking down Jessie Stapleton to a new contract earlier this summer.

The East London side are going in the right direction and are able to compete with the sides around them, as shown by eight points separating 5th from 11th.

With the right investment in the years to come, and talks over David Sullivan selling stakes in the Women’s side ongoing, West Ham can turn into a force in Women’s football.

Karren Brady has received backing after she made controversial comments about ex-West Ham star Mohammed Kudus.

The Hammers parted ways with the Ghana international earlier in the summer, with Kudus joining Tottenham from West Ham for £55million.

Having picked up two assists on his Spurs debut, Kudus has proved many Irons fans wrong already with his performance level in North London.

It is fair to say that the 25-year-old has already made a positive impression under Thomas Frank away from the London Stadium, but that hasn’t altered Brady’s opinion of the attacker.

This comes after West Ham chief Brady, who’s been criticised this year by Richard Keys, spoke out negatively against the recently departed forward, something which has since been echoed in E20.

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This story includes exclusive comment from former West Ham midfielder Martin Allen.

Brady backed after hitting out at Kudus

There is generally a lack of positivity surrounding the East London club, especially off the back of West Ham’s 3-0 defeat against Sunderland on opening day.

This wasn’t necessarily helped by Brady speaking out against Kudus on talkSPORT just a day after the hugely disappointing display at the Stadium of Light.

In a discussion about the Ghanaian forward, the vice-chairman concluded by saying: “He [Kudus] didn’t have a particularly good season for West Ham last year by his own standards, so we looked to move on.”

This spoke volumes about the feeling surrounding the ex-Ajax man, something which former Irons midfielder Allen believes is justified given Kudus’ comments after confirming his Spurs switch.

Speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, Allen said: “I don’t think Kudus has helped himself with the comments that he made after joining Spurs.

“He made some nasty comments about how much he loves Tottenham, and they have made plenty of West Ham fans unhappy.

“That certainly didn’t show any class, so I can imagine that Karren Brady was naffed off with his comments about Tottenham.

“As the vice chairman, she has the right to talk about the club, that’s her position, so if she wants to talk about certain players who have left, then she has that right.

“He hadn’t played well over the past six months, he was quite poor.

“Getting him out was best because I do agree with Brady.“

West Ham won’t regret Kudus sale to Tottenham

There is no getting away from the fact that the versatile attacking midfielder was poor in his final campaign wearing claret and blue.

Having netted just five and assisted four across all competitions, it made complete sense for the Irons to move him on for such a sizable fee.

Given that exit-linked Tomas Soucek contributed to more goals than the Ghanaian, it sums up just how frustrating he was for the London Stadium faithful.

Kudus certainly hasn’t helped his opinion among Hammers fans with his comments about Tottenham, something which has been echoed by both Brady and Allen since.

It will certainly be interesting to see if his early form continues at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and whether the Irons will regret the deal or not.

Mohammed Kudus made the controversial move from West Ham United to Tottenham earlier this summer.

The travelling West Ham fans made their feelings on Kudus clear on the opening day as the Hammers fell to a 3-0 defeat to Sunderland.

As much as those in East London will hate to admit it, Kudus got off to a fantastic start at Spurs and looks to be a real shrewd acquisition for them.

However, recent reports state that the saga revolving the former West Ham man could have unfolded very differently.

West Ham could’ve landed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea

Graham Potter will be hoping that more reinforcements are brought in before the window slams shut to help fill the void in his squad left by the Ghanaian.

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Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could have been a valuable addition to Potter’s squad before he made the move from Chelsea to Everton.

According to The Sun on 18 August, Kudus was high up on Chelsea’s transfer target list, with personal terms between the player and club already being agreed upon.

To bring the winger to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea reportedly made an offer of £20million plus Dewsbury-Hall to West Ham.

In the deal, Chelsea valued their midfielder at £30million whilst West Ham felt that Dewsbury-Hall was only worth £20m, meaning both clubs failed to agree a deal.

Instead, Spurs made a £55m bid and that was deemed enough for West Ham to sell Kudus to a direct rival.

Dewsbury-Hall would have been a fantastic signing for Potter

With Potter known to have wanted to make wholesale changes to his engine room, Dewsbury-Hall could’ve been a very valuable addition.

Considering that Kudus left West Ham for £55m, the Hammers arguably should’ve attempted to negotiate a £30m fee for Kudus, with Dewsbury-Hall coming the other way.

This chance has now escaped the Hammers, who continue to search for new midfielders despite the Premier League season already being underway.