London rivals West Ham and Tottenham’s disappointing Premier League form continued as they played out a 1-1 draw on Sunday that kept both stuck just above the relegation places as they battle to avoid ending the season as ‘worst of the rest’.
A much-changed Spurs scored the opener after 15 minutes through Wilson Odobert, after Max Kilman had gifted possession to Mathys Tel to put the ball on a plate for his team-mates, but the lead lasted only 13 minutes before Jarrod Bowen equalised well inside the near post.
The draw left Tottenham in 16th spot and facing their worst finish since 1977. They are a single point above the 17th-placed Hammers whose winless run in the league was extended to eight games, stretching back to February. Read back all the action with Standard Sport’s LIVE blog below, featuring expert analysis from Dom Smith at the London Stadium!
West Ham vs Tottenham latest news
- GOAL! Bowen draws Hammers level
- GOAL! Odobert against the run of play
Full-time!
15:53 , Alex Young95min: ...and that’s your lot! Boos at full-time.
This one won’t live long in the memory.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:53 , Alex Young94min: Ward-Prowse sends his effort fizzing past the near post and hits the frame holding up the goal.
Dom Smith at the London Stadium
15:52 , Alex YoungWard-Prowse, then. How's your nerves, Tottenham fans?
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:52 , Alex Young93min: Final chance? Ward-Prowse is standing over a free kick around 30 yards out.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:50 , Alex Young91min: Four minutes added on.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:47 , Alex Young88min: Just one change from Spurs today is a surprise.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:41 , Alex Young82min: Stunning save from Vicario to deny Ward-Prowse’s whipped free kick inside the near post, with Bowen may or may not have got a touch to.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:39 , Alex Young80min: Coufal, Ward-Prowse, Soler and Ferguson are on, replacing Todibo, Paqueta, Soucek and Fullkrug.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:38 , Alex Young79min: A great save from Areola to deny Sarr from distance.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:38 , Alex Young77min: A quadruple substitution being prepared by Potter.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:34 , Alex Young75min: Paqueta booked and he’s not taken it well at all. He’s started crying and is talking to the referee.
Dom Smith at the London Stadium
15:32 , Alex YoungIt feels as though this game is meandering towards 1-1. Needs a big chance to inject some urgency into the final 15 minutes here.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:29 , Alex Young71min: Kudus does brilliantly to put up a cross to Fullkrug at the back post, but the striker’s header is over the bar.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:28 , Alex Young69min: Spurs immediately win a corner, which Moore takes and sends into the side netting.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:26 , Alex Young68min: Moore replaces Richarlison.
Dom Smith at the London Stadium
15:24 , Alex YoungLooks as though Mikey Moore will shortly be entering the fray for Tottenham.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:24 , Alex Young64min: A few times now Richarlison has been caught offside, seemingly not quite aware of his surroundings.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:20 , Alex Young61min: Crossed the hour mark. No sign of any changes, yet.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:19 , Alex Young60min: Nice move from Spurs as Odobert sends Spence scampering down the right and tries to find Richarlison at the back post... but Cresswell is there to intercept.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:18 , Alex Young59min: Fantastic effort from Bowen on the half-volley, which dips just wide of the far post, after being found by Kudus from the opposite flank.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:14 , Alex Young55min: Danso has been in the wars today. He’s just been bundled over in the area by Fullkrug, who certainly doesn’t mess about when in the area. Not when it comes to scoring, of course.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:12 , Alex Young54min: Kudus and Soucek both line one up from distance and both are met but Kulusevski’s back.
The home crowd are waking up.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:11 , Alex Young52min: First chance for either team in this half as Tel races around Todibo to fire low at Areola, but his shot doesn’t have the power or bend on it to trouble the keeper.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
15:07 , Alex Young48min: Smart break from Spurs through Kulusevski and Odobert, but West Ham through Cresswell manage to stem the growing tide by winning a throw in.
Second half!
15:04 , Alex Young46min: Back underway. No changes.
The players are back out.
I’ll go a bit further than Dom and suggest we will see changes at half-time from Spurs. Postecoglou has made a habit of that of late.
Sarr would be perhaps the most obvious to make way, with Bentancur on the bench. Bissouma also played the full 90 in midweek so could be given a rest.
Dom Smith at the London Stadium
14:51 , Alex YoungAt the halfway stage, it is hard to gauge which team will be more pleased with their first-half offering.
Tottenham scored out of the blue with a nice goal, only for West Ham to respond with an even better one from their captain and talisman, Bowen.
It's hanging in the balance. Think we could see plenty of subs filter on throughout the duration of the second half.
Half-time!
14:48 , Alex Young48min: There’s the whistle
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
14:47 , Alex Young46min: Cresswell takes a tumble, and initially looks in some pain. But is going to walk it off.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
14:46 , Alex Young45min: Two minutes added on.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
14:45 , Alex Young44min: Soucek wins a corner off Bissouma. Cresswell sends it in but Spurs hack the ball clear.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
14:44 , Alex Young43min: Danso is done and needs some attention after getting an elbow off the ball from Fullkrug. VAR check and clear it.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
14:42 , Alex Young41min: Another foul by Sarr, this time on Wan-Bissaka. Walking a bit of a tightrope at the moment.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
14:41 , Alex Young38min: Spurs are looking for Tel at every opportunity and he slips Richarlison into the area brilliantly, but the striker opts to pass rather than shoot... he probably should have done the latter.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
14:36 , Alex Young36min: Plenty of tough tackles flying in.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
14:35 , Alex Young34min: Great from Spence to win the ball back up high and then leave Wan-Bissaka in his wake, but his cross into the area is slightly behind Richarlison, whose shot sails miles over.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
14:34 , Alex Young33min: Kulusevski almost pounces onto the ball in the West Ham final third with Paqueta caught in possession, but ends up fouling the Hammers man.
West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
14:33 , Alex Young32min: Pause in play as Spence recovers from a rather nasty collison with Kudus, who is already on a yellow card.
Dom Smith at the London Stadium
14:31 , Alex YoungTo add injury to injury, after Jarrod Bowen scored that sensational equaliser, a West Ham player booted the ball in celebration into the away end and it hit a Spurs fan square in the face. Life comes at you fast sometimes.
GOAL! West Ham 1-1 Tottenham
14:30 , Alex Young28min: What a finish!
The Hammers skipper draws his team level, leaves Davies for dead and then beats Vicario at the near post.
West Ham 0-1 Tottenham
14:28 , Alex Young27min: Sun is firmly out now in east London, most of the stadium bathed in it.
West Ham 0-1 Tottenham
14:26 , Alex Young25min: Oh dear, that’s an awful free kick! Tel goes for goal, clears the crossbar but 10 yards.
West Ham 0-1 Tottenham
14:25 , Alex Young24min: Up the other end, Todibo trips Tel as the Spurs winger tries to duck into the area. It’s a foul but the Spurs man was looking for it.
He’s standing over the free kick.
West Ham 0-1 Tottenham
14:25 , Alex Young23min: Soucek penalised for a foul on Sarr. Just shoved him over, some frustrations already on show.
West Ham 0-1 Tottenham
14:23 , Alex Young22min: Big shouts for a West Ham penalty after the ball strikes Davies’ arm, but again no spot kick given after VAR took a look.
Correct decision.
West Ham 0-1 Tottenham
14:22 , Alex Young21min: Vicario makes a right hash of a clearance on his left foot, passing the ball straight to Soucek but the midfielder is on stretch so the ball rolls back tot he keeper.
West Ham 0-1 Tottenham
14:21 , Alex Young20min: Kudus now into the book for a high tackle on Danso. Deserved but there was no malice in it.
West Ham 0-1 Tottenham
14:20 , Alex Young18min: That’s a real blow for West Ham as Spurs had created absolutely nothing. So West Ham created something for them.
Dom Smith at the London Stadium
14:19 , Alex YoungThat's such horrendous play from Kilman to miscontrol and to create the chance for Spurs. It's well-taken by Odobert after a smart ball across from Tel.
Tottenham with the first move in this one, and it could knock West Ham's confidence, that, because they had started marginally the better team.
GOAL! West Ham 0-1 Tottenham
14:16 , Alex Young15min: Out of nothing, Spurs lead!
Kilman makes a hash of a clearance under pressure from Tel, Richarlison dummies the pass and Odobert slots home.
West Ham 0-0 Tottenham
14:16 , Alex Young14min: Cresswell whips in a superb cross but no one made the run.
West Ham 0-0 Tottenham
14:14 , Alex Young13min: Early yellow card for Davies after a late challenge on Fullkrug.
West Ham 0-0 Tottenham
14:13 , Alex Young12min: Spurs certainly the sluggish of the two teams. They are looking to avoid a fifth straight league defeat away from home.
Dom Smith at the London Stadium
14:12 , Alex YoungThe sun is just flirting with peeping through the clouds here at the London Stadium. Quite a one-paced start to the match, as both sets of players figure each other out. "Stand up if you hate the Spurs", is the latest chant from the Hammers' faithful.
West Ham 0-0 Tottenham
14:10 , Alex Young9min: Kudus does well to hold off Bissouma near the corner flag and squirm into a low cross, but Spurs hack clear.
It’s a little bit frantic at the moment.
West Ham 0-0 Tottenham
14:09 , Alex Young8min: Half-hearted penalty appeals from West Ham, and Potter in the dugout, after the ball strikes Davies, but there’s nothing doing.
West Ham 0-0 Tottenham
14:08 , Alex Young7min: Super tackle by Bissouma stops Paqueta in his tracks near the edge of the area. Spurs, though, really struggling to get out already with West Ham’s press working wonders.
West Ham 0-0 Tottenham
14:07 , Alex Young6min: West Ham with all the early possession. Bowen picks up the ball on the edge of the area, spins and looks up to find a team-mate... but his cross hits Spence.
West Ham 0-0 Tottenham
14:04 , Alex Young3min: A great early opening for West Ham as Wan-Bissaka pounces on a loose ball and skips down the right flank. He has all the time in the world to find Bowen or Kudus in the centre, but hits a Spurs defender.
West Ham 0-0 Tottenham
14:02 , Alex Young2min: An early free kick to West Ham as Soucek is knocked over by Sarr.
Kick-off!
14:01 , Alex Young1min: Here we go!
Spurs looking for their first win at the London Stadium since November 2019, which was Jose Mourinho’s first match in charge.
Remarkable.
Someone presses play on ‘I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles’... and here come the players led by Bowen and Vicario.
Right, here they come into the tunnel.
Some Fatboy Slim blaring out of the PA system as we await the two teams.
Final prep for the teams.
A chance for Niclas
13:43 , Alex YoungIt’s a big chance for Fullkrug today. This is just the five league game he has started during an injury-hit debut season and faces a defence which has rarely played with each other.
Despite a lack of goals, the veteran has often used his experience to impress in other ways for West Ham. A goal today would be a highlight of an otherwise tough campaign.
Beyond the clear need for changes from Spurs, it will be interesting to see Tel and Richarlison start together, with Odobert presumably slinging in crosses for the pair.
Richarlison did that job well initially on Thursday, but did struggle to beat a man with his dribbling. Kulusveski will be looking to pull the strings behind the three of them.
Dom Smith at the London Stadium
13:17 , Alex YoungAnge Postecoglou said this week that he would hate for anyone to think he and Tottenham are not taking their Premier League commitments as seriously as their Europa League run, but of course they aren't, and how could they?
A chance for major silverware in Europe does not come around often for Spurs, so it is no surprise their manager has made eight changes to his team to rest players for Thursday's second leg away to Bodo/Glimt.
It is the right call, but also offers those who start today a chance to impress and squeeze into Postecoglou's plans for that match at the last minute. West Ham will have expected changes from Tottenham. Everyone did.
Potter: This game has 'added importance'
13:15 , Alex YoungGraham Potter knows a win over Tottenham would lift some of the gloom hanging over West Ham.
The Hammers have won only three of 14 matches since Potter took over in January and currently occupy the 'worst of the rest' spot in the Premier League, one place above the three relegated clubs.
Spurs have endured a similarly torrid campaign domestically, but they can at least console themselves with a potential place in the Europa League final.
Yet West Ham fans enjoy nothing more than a victory over their London rivals, and three points on Sunday would give Potter some breathing space with the pressure on the 49-year-old already beginning to mount.
"Spurs have had a tough season in the Premier League, because of injuries and other reasons. That just shows that in this league, nothing's forgiven," said Potter.
"But, they've done well in Europe, and hopefully they can get the job done and get to the final.
"This is the most important game for us, because it's the next game. And then you add on the fact it's a London derby, and the added importance for our supporters.
"I feel for our supporters because they've had a tough year. That's the reality. They're frustrated, understandably so, and we want to try and give them something back."
Dom Smith checks in
13:02 , Alex YoungOur man in east London.
🗣️ "Not much up for grabs today beyond bragging rights."
— Standard Sport (@standardsport) May 4, 2025
Here's @MrDomSmith, at the London Stadium, on a rather low-key meeting of two fierce rivals.#WHUTOT pic.twitter.com/2CvtVf0XZc
Eight changes for Spurs again
12:57 , Alex YoungIt's another eight changes for Tottenham, with only Richarlison, Bissouma and captain Vicario keeping their spot. Maddison, Solanke and Son are not in the squad.
Fullkrug starts for West Ham in one of two changes. Ward-Prowse drops out.
Confirmed teams in full
12:49 , Alex YoungWest Ham XI: Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Cresswell, Emerson; Bowen, Soucek, Paqueta, Kudus; Fullkrug
Subs: Fabianski, Coufal, Mavropanos, Soler, Ward-Prowse, Rodríguez, Guilherme, Ings, Ferguson
Tottenham XI: Vicario; Gray, Danso, Davies, Spence; Sarr, Bissouma; Odobert, Kulusevski, Tel; Richarlison
Subs: Kinsky, Porro, Udogie, Romero, Van de Ven, Bentancur, Ajayi, Moore, Johnson
Tottenham XI
12:46 , Alex Young...and Spurs!
Your Spurs to take on the Hammers 💪
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 4, 2025
🔢 @krakenfx pic.twitter.com/mKipeA6eA6
West Ham XI
12:45 , Alex YoungHere’s how the hosts look!
The team to take on Tottenham 👊 pic.twitter.com/l5b1e4s2N6
— West Ham United (@WestHam) May 4, 2025
Team news is a little over five minutes away.
Arrivals.
Postecoglou 'really hard' on Spurs as he makes Premier League claim
12:29 , Alex YoungAnge Postecoglou says he hopes people believe that Tottenham have been taking the Premier League as seriously as the Europa League in recent weeks.
“Our league form has obviously been nowhere near where it should be, and there’s a narrative around that, but I think the players have been really good at making sure this opportunity [doesn’t go to waste],” he said this week.
“We could have been having a great season and be third or fourth in the table and the opportunity is still the same. Whether you’re third or 16th, it’s still the semi-final of the Europa League.
“What’s happening in your season almost becomes irrelevant once the opportunity presents itself. It’s an opportunity this group of players have earnt.
“I’d hate to think people don’t think I’ve been preparing the same I always have for these games and want to win these games. We were hugely disappointed with Liverpool, notwithstanding the fact they were outstanding all year and it was always going to be a difficult day whichever way we went.
“I was really hard on the players the day after the game. I wasn’t really sure how they would react to it, but I just felt we need to feel that pain. We’ve got an opportunity to do something special and I don’t want to let that slip because of us losing focus on what is important.”
To blame Potter for West Ham’s plight misses the bigger picture
12:21 , Alex YoungIt is hard to know what should be more concerning to West Ham supporters: another late collapse at Brighton on Saturday or Graham Potter’s strained appearance afterwards.
Potter slumped into his chair in the Amex’s auditorium after a 3-2 defeat to his former club with the air of a man who has just lived through a thousand years of agony and is now being forced to take questions on the experience.
“The pain at the moment is pretty hard,” he said, having braced himself with several deep breaths and some vigorous face-rubbing.
In truth, though, it was not so much what Potter said but how he said it; after a little over 100 days and 15 matches in charge of the Hammers, the 49-year-old already seems close to the edge, a man already in danger of being broken and desperately in need of getting through “a tough four weeks” until the end of the season.
Kick-off is in just under two hours.
West Ham have not beaten Spurs in front of their own fans since 2021 and just twice in eight years.
Struggling West Ham offer Spurs chance to deliver on Postecoglou words
12:05 , Alex YoungAnd so after the highs of Thursday night, Tottenham turn their attention back to the Premier League — a competition in which they have seemed cursed this season — and to a match dubbed online as ‘El S**tico’ in some places and ‘El Cra*ico’ in others. Whichever you prefer, you no doubt get the picture.
A London derby against West Ham on a sunlit Sunday afternoon ought to be an occasion both sets of fans feels they can get well up for. Instead, West Ham supporters seem at the end of their tether with Graham Potter’s struggling Hammers, perhaps preferring the thought of starting the summer holidays a month or two early and already with full focus on next season and righting the wrongs of this torrid campaign.
For Tottenham? Here is a league match sandwiched unhelpfully between the two most important games of Spurs’ season.
The most important, that is, until, as expected, they reach the Europa League final, which will then itself become the most important.
Spurs have occupied this strange place for weeks now — a succession of season-defining Thursday nights against AZ Alkmaar (away), AZ Alkmaar (home), Eintracht Frankfurt (home), Eintracht Frankfurt (away) and Bodo/Glimt (home) having all been potentially terminal nights but Spurs through them all unscathed.
The away leg in Norway against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday is now all that stands between Spurs and a European final for the first time in six years.
All the while, they have continued to lose in the league. To Fulham, to Chelsea, to Wolves, to Nottingham Forest, and last weekend to Liverpool to crown them champions. Of 34 league matches, they have, almost impressively, lost 19.
West Ham vs Tottenham prediction
11:56 , Alex YoungWest Ham will have fewer better opportunities to beat their fierce rivals. With Spurs set to make changes and struggling for form, the Hammers have little excuse for not handing them their 20th league defeat of the season.
Though the hosts’ form is equally as miserable. It is now zero wins in seven, with their last victory coming against the league’s whipping boys in relegated Leicester.
A shocking collapse at Brighton last time out - conceding twice in the final minutes to lose 3-2 - will be hard for the Hammers squad to shake off, while those coming in for Spurs could be playing for minutes in the semi-final a few days later.
West Ham 2-2 Tottenham
Early Tottenham team news
11:49 , Alex YoungAnge Postecoglou is likely to wrap key Tottenham players in cotton wool ahead of the second leg of their Europa League semi-final with Bodo/Glimt.
James Maddison (knee) and Dominic Solanke (thigh) both suffered injuries in the 3-1 first leg win in north London and will not be risked.
“Dom is not too bad,” Postecoglou said of Solanke’s injury on Friday. “Still a bit sore from last night but we don’t think it’s anything serious. Obviously a doubt for the weekend.”
Maddison is due to undergo a scan on a knee injury which has been described by Postecoglou as a “concern”.
Spurs captain Heung-min Son is working daily on the grass as he edges towards a return from his ankle injury. Having missed the first leg against Bodo/Glimt, a return is being targeted for the second leg, so he will also not feature against West Ham.
Archie Gray, Kevin Danso, Ben Davies and Djed Spence are likely to line up in defence, with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero to be rested.
Pape Sarr, Dejan Kulusevski, Mikey Moore and Wilson Odobert were only substitutes in midweek, while Mathys Tel and Richarlison only played 45 minutes.
Lucas Bergvall has been ruled out for the season with an ankle injury. Radu Dragusin is also out for the season after ACL surgery.
Early West Ham team news
11:42 , Alex YoungGraham Potter has decisions to make in attack.
Niclas Fullkrug started on the bench for West Ham in last weekend’s defeat against Brighton but was brought on at half-time as Potter reshuffled the shape, and the German striker could be involved from the off here.
Evan Ferguson is also available for the hosts, having been ineligible to face his parent club last time out.
If Fullkrug does get the nod to start, James Ward-Prowse would potentially be the man to miss out, with Jarrod Bowen and Mohamed Kudus moving into wider roles either side of the forward.
Edson Alvarez is a doubt and the Hammers remain without Crysencio Summerville, as Potter revealed at his pre-match press conference on Friday that the focus for him was now on recovering in time for next season.
Why isn’t West Ham vs Tottenham on TV?
11:35 , Alex YoungThe game is being played at 2pm BST on Sunday, so does not fall within the blackout rules imposed across English football on a Saturday at 3pm.
But it has not been selected for live coverage by Sky Sports, who are instead showing Brighton vs Newcastle and then Liverpool’s first fixture after being crowned Premier League champions as they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Free highlights: Match of the Day 2, however, will show highlights when it airs at 10.30pm BST tonight on BBC One.
Welcome
11:29 , Alex YoungGood morning and welcome to the London Standard’s LIVE coverage of the Premier League clash between West Ham and Tottenham.
Remarkably, with just four games of the season left to play, today sees 17th hosting 16th. Two miserable seasons for two deeply underperforming rivals.
Bragging rights, of sorts, are on the line today. But you cannot see celebrations being too exuberant.
Kick-off is at 2pm. Stick with us.
