Sean Longstaff says Eddie Howe's trust is allowing him to play his best football as Newcastle United go in search of a third straight Premier League win against West Ham on Monday.

After a difficult period, Newcastle bounced back by beating Arsenal (1-0) and Nottingham Forest (3-1) to enter the international break eighth in the table, one point adrift of third-placed Chelsea.

Longstaff returned to Newcastle's starting lineup for those matches after temporarily losing his place in their midfield, with Joelinton being pushed into the frontline.

"The midfield group is really strong," Longstaff told BBC Radio Newcastle. "When you look around it's all internationals. It's just about trying to bring my strengths to the team.

"I know the manager trusts me which is the biggest thing. No matter what anyone ever says, the fact he trusts me gives me the most confidence."

Longstaff then continued: "The season we qualified for the Champions League, I tried to enjoy it as much as possible.

"Then, last year there was games every three days and with lads being injured, I think the burden of trying to win every game can mean the enjoyment leaves a little bit. I'm just trying to enjoy the games as much as I can and hopefully being a bit freer will help."

Opponents West Ham, meanwhile, are just five points clear of the relegation zone after signing off for the international break with a goalless draw against Everton, a result that followed on from a crushing 3-0 defeat at Forest.

The Hammers' underwhelming start to the campaign has seen Julen Lopetegui's position questioned mere months after he took the reins, and he is demanding a complete performance next time out.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the Everton game, Lopetegui said: "We had more chances than them. In the second half, we had more clear chances to win the game.

"The first half was a gift for them. We lost 45 minutes. In the second half we did better, we were aggressive and had chances to win.

"The matches aren't about 45 minutes. They are 90 minutes and stoppage time. That's why I'm not happy, for sure. I think we can, and have to, do better."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Newcastle United – Harvey Barnes

Only against Aston Villa (nine) has Barnes been directly involved in more Premier League goals than he has against West Ham (eight – six goals, two assists). 

He has either scored or assisted in each of his last four against the Hammers (four goals, one assist), finding the net in each of the last three.

West Ham – Michail Antonio 

Only Wolves frontman Jorgen Strand Larsen (16) has made more hold-ups while retaining possession in the Premier League this season than West Ham striker Antonio (15). 

Antonio is retaining possession with 71% of his hold-ups in the competition this term (15/21), the highest ratio of any player to attempt 10 or more. Lopetegui's side are likely to spend plenty of time under pressure on Monday, but he could provide them with an outlet.

MATCH PREDICTION – NEWCASTLE UNITED WIN

Newcastle have won their last two Premier League games and are looking to win three in a row for the first time since September 2023 – this is the sixth occasion since then that they have won twice in a row in the league.

They have lost just one of their last 10 Premier League games against West Ham (five wins, four draws) and are unbeaten in all five against the Hammers under Howe (two wins, three draws). They triumphed 4-3 when the sides last met at St James' Park in March.

West Ham, meanwhile, have kept just two clean sheets in their last 28 Premier League away games, conceding 66 goals (2.4 per game). 

Indeed, in 2024, they have conceded more away goals in the top-flight (35) than any side.

Lopetegui's men have also failed to score in their last two league games, as many as in their previous 14 beforehand. Only five teams have a worse difference between their expected goals (xG) and expected goals against (xGA) figures than West Ham (-2.97) this term.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Newcastle United – 58.9%

West Ham – 19.7%

Draw – 21.4%

West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui said he always works under pressure as the Hammers' inconsistent form continued with a goalless draw against Everton.

Reports earlier this week suggested Lopetegui was hanging on by a thread at West Ham, with the Hammers having made a poor start to their Premier League campaign.

A flat performance for large parts on Saturday failed to offer the response West Ham fans will have wanted to see from their side following last week's loss to Nottingham Forest.

The Hammers did, though, create the biggest chances during an improved second-half display, with Crysencio Summerville hitting the post and Jordan Pickford making a brilliant save to deny Danny Ings late on.

West Ham faced some boos from their supporters at half-time, while there was a spattering of jeers at full-time at London Stadium, but Lopetegui claimed the pressure is not telling.

"It's normal that the fans were not happy. We’re not happy with 12 points," he said.

"At the same time, other teams who look fantastic, only have three or four more points than us. We can do better, we're not happy, but we can take positives. We want more, we are not happy, we will work 24/7 to achieve this.

"Sometimes it's about the intensity, and to have the personality to do things. I think we have to improve in this. The players need to say 'Here I am and we are going to do this'.

"I always work under pressure, this is not new. I'm very happy with the players, with the club. We are not happy with our position but we are sure we are going to be able to finish higher in May – a lot of things can change.

"We are doing good things, but not enough of them to be consistent."

Everton got back on track after suffering a 1-0 defeat at Southampton last week. The Toffees could have scored through Abdoulaye Doucoure, while Jesper Lindstrom saw a header kept out by Lukasz Fabianski.

Sean Dyche said: "It's a good point, a good clean sheet. A solid performance.

"We obviously couldn't find that bit of edge in the attacking third and the bit of devil that is sometimes the difference, but a solid feel to the performance.

"We didn't really give much up, away from home in the Premier League, that’s difficult. In the end, we come away wondering if that’s one we could have won, but equally, Jordan makes a fantastic save."

Jordan Pickford made a stunning save deep into stoppage time as West Ham were held to a 0-0 draw by Everton at London Stadium.

Julen Lopetegui is seemingly under increasing pressure at West Ham, and though the hosts created the better chances in the end, it was a largely flat performance on Saturday.

Substitute Danny Ings, who had tested Pickford in the 87th minute, thought he had won it in the 93rd with a deflected attempt, but Everton’s goalkeeper produced a fine fingertip stop.

Pickford had been beaten earlier in the second half when Crysencio Summerville struck the post, after Jesper Lindstrom had seen a header kept out by Lukasz Fabianski at the other end.

The stalemate leaves West Ham in 14th in the Premier League, two places above Everton, heading into the international break.

Data Debrief: Shot stoppers steal the show

In a game that lacked quality from either side during the contest, a draw was perhaps a fair result and can be used as a positive heading into the international break. 

While Everton registered 18 shots compared to West Ham's 11, the Toffees had to rely on Pickford on several occasions to take a point back to Goodison Park. 

Pickford made six saves for Everton, but Fabianski, at the other end, was also on form. He produced four stops as both goalkeepers played pivotal roles in earning their team a valuable point.

Jesper Lindstrom delivered a blunt assessment of Everton's performance against Southampton, as Sean Dyche's team prepare for a crunch fixture against West Ham.

Everton suffered a 1-0 loss at Southampton on Saturday, as the Saints claimed their first Premier League win of the season.

That defeat snapped a five-game unbeaten run in the league, albeit Everton are still only on nine points after 10 games.

Saturday's trip to West Ham, whose coach Julen Lopetegui is under pressure after a poor run of form, represents a big game for both clubs.

And Lindstrom, who joined Everton on loan from Napoli in July, said there are few excuses for the Toffees.

"We want to win games, we want to win points, we want to win games like this. It's not good enough," he said, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.

"Overall we have to demand more of each other. We have to train hard, we have to keep going.

"The first half especially was not good enough, was not what we expected. We are a much better team than we showed.

"The second half was better we were running more, fighting more, creating chances. I think we deserved at least a point with all the chances but on the other hand I don't think we deserved it because I know we can play much better than we did.

"In the first half, we were too far from each other. From my perspective, my touches were not great.

"It was better in the second half. We created good chances of receiving the ball high but didn’t have the last part, the shot."

West Ham lost 3-0 to in-form Nottingham Forest last time out.

After that match, Jarrod Bowen told Premier League Productions: "We've been on the receiving end of a lot of defeats by a lot of goals, so we need to look at ourselves as players. I think that's a given, but I think we've got to accept this feeling, accept it today, move on and in the last game before the international break we have to put it right."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

West Ham - Jarrod Bowen

Bowen has scored in his last two Premier League home games for West Ham, last scoring in three in a row at the London Stadium in February 2022.

The England forward has also had a hand in five goals in his last six league games against Everton (three goals, two assists).

Everton - Dominic Calvert-Lewin

All three of Calvert-Lewin’s Premier League goals against West Ham have come at the London Stadium, with the last two coming in 1-0 wins for Everton.

Only against Newcastle United (five) has he scored more away goals in the competition than he has at West Ham.

MATCH PREDICTION: WEST HAM WIN

West Ham have conceded 15 goals in the opening 15 minutes of Premier League games so far in 2024, the most such goals any side have conceded in a single calendar year in the competition. Five of those have come so far this season, a joint-league high, along with Ipswich Town.

However, having lost their first three Premier League home games this season, West Ham have now won their last two at London Stadium. They last won three in a row in May/August 2023, while they last did so in the same campaign in October 2022.

Everton, meanwhile, have lost their last three Premier League away games against London sides by an aggregate score of 12-1. They last lost four in a row in the capital between January and September 2018.

West Ham have won five of their last eight Premier League games against Everton (L3), as many as they had in their previous 30 against them (D9 L16).

However, the Toffees - who won the corresponding fixture 1-0 last season - have taken more Premier League games in total (29) and away from home (13) against West Ham than they have against any other opponent.

Dyche's team have lost their first four Premier League games this season, conceding 13 goals in the process. However, they have lost just one of their subsequent six (W2 D3), with their four goals conceded the fewest of any side in that time.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

West Ham - 50.2%

Everton - 24.6%

Draw - 25.2%

Nottingham Forest leapfrogged into third place in the Premier League after a 3-0 victory against West Ham United, but Nuno Espirito Santo believes “it doesn’t mean anything.”

Forest took the lead through in-form striker Chris Wood before Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ola Aina added two more following Edson Alvarez’s dismissal for a second yellow late in the first half. 

It was a complete display for Nuno’s side, who have outperformed expectations so far this season, with this representing the first time Forest will end the day in the top three of the top-flight since 1998.

While the manager was proud of the achievement, he will not rest on his laurels this early in the season.

"It doesn't mean anything now. We have to keep going as it's a over long season ahead of us. Positive moment but we should keep going," Nuno told the press.

"I think all of us should be proud of the way we performed, we started the game well and controlled their threat while being positive going forward.

"The red card changed everything but the players understood not to be complacent. This is what football is about, fantastic moment for us and the fans."

Forest racked up an expected goals (xG) total of 2.08 while limiting West Ham to just 0.16 xG at the City Ground.

They had 19 shots, with six of those on target, leaving vice-captain Ryan Yates hungry for more by the final whistle.

"We were really getting into it at the end and we wanted more goals. Unfortunately mine didn't go in but we are delighted with today's work,” he told BBC 5 Live.

“[Nuno] can really implement the ideas. There are many things that have gone into why we were doing well. I think the recruitment has been fantastic. We have kept the core together and we are doing really well.”

Nottingham Forest recorded a third successive Premier League win as in-form striker Chris Wood inspired them to a 3-0 thrashing of 10-man West Ham at the City Ground.

Wood headed home for his sixth goal in his last six Premier League games midway through the first half, before Julen Lopeteui's visitors saw Edson Alvarez sent off.

Playing the second half with 10 men, the Hammers' woes were compounded by further goals from Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ola Aina as Forest stretched their unbeaten run to four top-flight matches.

Nuno Espirito Santo's men leapfrogged Arsenal into third place in the table following the Gunners' 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United earlier on Saturday.

West Ham, meanwhile, slip to 14th with 11 points from 10 matches, having failed to build on last week's victory over Manchester United.

Data Debrief: Yates powers Forest engine as Wood closes in on club record

Wood's eye-catching form for Forest will be the main story for the home fans as they file away from the City Ground but captain Ryan Yates turned in a superb display at the heart of the hosts' midfield.

His quick thinking from a free-kick allowed Hudson-Odoi to curl home a vital second goal, to effectively take the game away from West Ham in the closing stages, and his work rate and leadership kept Forest on task as the clock ticked towards full-time.

Alongside an assist, Yates made 57 passes in the game - more than any other Forest player - with his 74 touches ranking behind only Alex Moreno, on 80, of his team-mates.

Wood, meanwhile, is now on 23 Premier League goals for Forest, which ranks behind only Bryan Roy (24) for the most goals for the club in the competition.

The New Zealander has netted in four consecutive Premier League games, his joint-longest scoring run in the division, while he has scored more goals against West Ham (eight) in the competition than he has against any other side.

Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo insisted he is not looking at the Premier League table despite his side’s fine start to the season.

Forest earned their fourth win of the campaign against East Midlands rivals Leicester City last time out, with Chris Wood’s brace helping them to a 3-1 win at the King Power Stadium.

The Tricky Trees currently sit eighth in the early-season standings, but that matters little to Nuno, who expects further improvement from his side in the coming months to fully realise what he believes is their true potential.

"We played a good game, very stable, confident and solid. Our organisation was good, I am delighted," Nuno told Sky Sports.

"It is not about the table, what is more important is to see our fans celebrate like they did today. What is important is how we do things, how we continue to progress.

"It is the commitment, we as a group want to progress, become better and play good football.

"They (the players) have the ability, we need to make them stronger so we can build on it." They deserve it since last season was so this is a moment for them to enjoy.”

West Ham, meanwhile, needed an injury-time penalty from Jarrod Bowen to earn a 2-1 victory over Manchester United, a result that would lead to Erik ten Hag’s dismissal.

It’s been an inconsistent start to the season for the Hammers, though, who have managed 11 points from their first nine games under new manager, Julen Lopetegui.

But Sunday’s match-winner Bowen said that their result against United must be the catalyst for their campaign, with aspirations of qualifying for Europe again this term.

"It needs to be because this season we have been in positions where we have won 4-1 against Ipswich, then gone and lost 4-1 to Tottenham,” Bowen said.

"It's about consistently winning games and, if you want to be successful, you have to see it as a building block."

Max Kilman echoed his captain’s thoughts, saying: “It's been a tough start, but we showed a lot of resilience and a lot of character.

“We’ve seen with the second half performance how we pushed on and we've got a great result against a top team.

“All the boys who came on have done a great job and changed the game for us and that's what we need, the whole squad to push us on.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nottingham Forest – Chris Wood

Wood has scored seven Premier League goals this season, already the most by a Forest player in their first 10 games in a single campaign in the competition.

Overall, he’s scored 22 Premier League goals for the Tricky Trees, with only Bryan Roy netting more (24). The New Zealander has also netted more goals (seven) against the Hammers than any other side he has faced in the top-flight.

West Ham – Jarrod Bowen

Bowen’s winning penalty against United last time out was his 78th Premier League goal involvement for West Ham (46 goals, 32 assists), with only Michail Antonio (101) and Mark Noble (82) registering more for the Hammers (Paolo Di Canio also 78).

The England international has also created more chances (22) this season than any of his team-mates, with midfielder Tomas Soucek in second on just nine.

MATCH PREDICTION: NOTTINGHAM FOREST WIN

Forest have won both of their Premier League home games against West Ham since their return to the division in 2022. They last won more consecutively against the Hammers between 1969 and 1978 (four).

The Tricky Trees have won their last two Premier League games – they last won three in a row in the top-flight in May 1999.

Only Liverpool (five) have conceded fewer Premier League goals than Nottingham Forest this season (seven). It’s their fewest goals conceded at this stage of a league season since 2014-15 (seven in the Championship) and fewest in the top-flight since 1978-79 (seven).

West Ham, meanwhile, have won two of their last three Premier League games (L1), as many as they had in their previous 12. They’re looking to win back-to-back league games for the first time since March.

However, the Hammers have kept a clean sheet in just one of their last 24 Premier League games played outside of London, conceding in each of their last 15 since a 4-0 win at Bournemouth in April 2023.

West Ham have also lost only two of their last four Premier League games against Nottingham Forest (W2), having lost just one of their previous 15 against them in the top-flight (W7 D7).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Nottingham Forest – 41.4%

Draw – 26.7%

West Ham – 31.9%

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was left fuming after his side conceded a contentious late penalty to lose 2-1 to West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday. 

The Red Devils wasted several clear chances in the first half of the Premier League contest with Alejandro Garnacho rattling the crossbar and Diogo Dalot firing over with the goal gaping in front of him.

Those first-half misses came back to haunt them as Crysencio Summerville found the breakthrough for West Ham in the 76th minute before Casemiro netted a late equaliser for Ten Hag’s side. 

But a controversial penalty, awarded for a foul on Danny Ings by Matthijs de Ligt, ensured West Ham secured the three points as Jarrod Bowen slotted past Andre Onana in the 92nd minute from 12 yards and piled more pressure on the United boss.

“We have felt injustice three times this season. We have to score. We created so many chances. We should've been two or three goals up. In the second half, we were forcing it, but we allowed them into the game,” Ten Hag told BBC Sport. 

“When you are losing 1-0, you need the big personality and character of the team and we showed resilience to get back into it. But it was unfair and unjust, the way we conceded the penalty."

Referee David Coote awarded the penalty against United in the 87th minute after looking at the pitchside monitor despite protestations from the visiting players that Ings had handled the ball before the challenge from De Ligt. 

Jarrod Bowen scored a stoppage-time winner from the penalty spot as West Ham recorded a 2-1 Premier League victory over Manchester United, piling more pressure on Erik ten Hag.

Casemiro had cancelled out Crysencio Summerville’s 74th-minute opener as the game burst into life late on, but Bowen's penalty in the 92nd minute – contentiously awarded for Matthijs de Ligt's tackle on Danny Ings – settled the contest.

Alejandro Garnacho had rattled the crossbar as early as the second minute, while Diogo Dalot somehow blazed over when presented with an open goal half an hour later.

United were denied by the woodwork again in the 40th minute when Christian Eriksen’s corner was glanced onto the bar by Hammers midfielder Edson Alvarez, but it was West Ham who made the breakthrough in the second half.

Summerville tapped home in the 74th minute to punish United's wastefulness, but Casemiro nodded the equaliser from close range seven minutes later.

However, Bowen’s late penalty handed Julen Lopetegui's side a much-needed win and saw them leapfrog their opponents into 13th place.

Erik ten Hag is sure that Manchester United's ongoing injury woes are holding them back in their quest for continuity on all fronts. 

Ten Hag watched on as Antony was forced off during their 1-1 draw with Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday, despite no one being near the Brazilian. 

The Red Devils were already without 10 first-team players for their trip to Turkiye, nine because of injury, as their struggles from last season begin to resurface once again. 

Last campaign, United suffered 45 injuries, more than any other team in the top flight, and they have again endured a stuttering start to the season as a result.

Ten Hag's side have won four of their 13 matches in all competitions (drawn five, lost four), while also ranking in the bottom 10 for expected goals against (xGA) with 12.4 in the Premier League.

The likes of Luke Shaw, Leny Yoro and Tyrell Malacia are all yet to make an appearance this term, and Ten Hag believes it has become a problem at Old Trafford.

"Yes, it holds us back in our levels and also in our position in the league," said Ten Hag. "When you don’t have the players available, you can't line up the best team."

Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount are other notable absentees, but defender Jonny Evans is expected to return to the fold ahead of United's fixture with West Ham on Sunday.

The Red Devils hoped they would solve their problems through the hiring of Gary O'Driscoll from Arsenal as their new head of medicine 12 months ago.

However, that has failed to transpire, and Ten Hag knows his side will struggle to fulfil their potential until an answer can be found.

"We need more players available often," he said. "We all have to work together on this point - the players, the coaching staff and all the other staff.

"We have to do better at that because we know when we have them we are a really tough team to play and we can be really successful."

Tomas Soucek says West Ham's mentality must improve after they were trounced by Tottenham last week, ahead of Sunday's headline clash with Manchester United.

West Ham have taken eight points from as many Premier League games under Julen Lopetegui, but the low point of the Spaniard's reign to date came at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last week.

The Hammers shipped three goals in the space of eight second-half minutes in a 4-1 defeat, and Soucek has revealed stern words were required in the dressing room after that match.

"It's very frustrating, and we're all angry," Soucek said. "We said in the dressing room that this cannot happen because it's a derby for us, for the fans, and it's a massive game. 

"We also said this is only one result, and we have the whole week to overcome this setback and make sure we're ready for the game against Manchester United.

"We went in with a draw at half-time, but in the second half we were not good enough for an eight-minute spell and conceded three goals in that space of time. That killed the game. 

"We spoke about mentality after the game and if we concede a goal, we can't concede again like we did."

Opponents United are only three points better off than Sunday's hosts, having fought back from 1-0 down to beat Brentford 2-1 in their last league match.

Erik ten Hag's under-fire side then squandered a 1-0 lead in a 1-1 Europa League draw with Fenerbahce on Thursday, however, leaving goalkeeper Andre Onana frustrated. 

"It was a big disappointment for me and the fans, for the club, as a Manchester United player you have an obligation to try to win," Onana told TNT Sports.

"We didn't win, but at least we didn't lose. We're not happy of course, but we move on, take responsibility and go again.

"We had more control than them in the second half and more chances. We conceded an early goal in the second half, we had to show character and I think that is what we did.

"We didn't win but I thought we were better."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

West Ham – Jarrod Bowen

West Ham will be without the suspended Mohammed Kudus after his red card at Spurs, but they have not lost any of their five games without the Ghanian since his Premier League debut last season (two wins, three draws).

Bowen is one of three other West Ham players to match Kudus' return of two league goals this term, also creating a team-high 20 chances in 2024-25.

Manchester United – Alejandro Garnacho 

Garnacho has scored 12 goals for Manchester United in the Premier League. 

Only eight non-British players have ever scored more in the competition before turning 21, with the only player to do so for the Red Devils being Cristiano Ronaldo (14).

MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW

West Ham have won their last two Premier League home games against United without conceding – they have never kept three consecutive home clean sheets against the Red Devils in their league history.

They last managed three straight home league wins against the Red Devils, meanwhile, between 1974 and 1977 (a run of four).

Indeed, United have suffered more Premier League defeats in eight trips to the London Stadium (four – three wins, one draw) than they did in 20 trips to the Boleyn Ground (eight wins, nine draws, three defeats).

Despite their struggles, United have kept three straight clean sheets on the road in the Premier League. They last recorded four successive shutouts on the road in July 2020.

Their last two road trips, however, have been goalless draws at Crystal Palace and Aston Villa. Given their attacking shortcomings, another draw would be no surprise.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

West Ham – 34.6%

Manchester United – 40.3%

Draw – 25.1%

Ange Postecoglou hailed an "outstanding" second-half display from Tottenham in their win over West Ham.

In stark contrast to the capitulation at Brighton before the international break, Spurs took the game away from the Hammers after the interval on Saturday.

Goals from Yves Bissouma and Son Heung-min, combined with Alphonse Areola's own goal, saw Spurs to a 4-1 win in the early kick-off, with Dejan Kulusevski having cancelled out Mohammed Kudus' opener in the first half.

Kudus became the sixth different West Ham player to both score and get sent off in the same Premier League game when he was sent off for violent conduct late on as Spurs capitalised on a dominant second-half display in which they had 10 shots and got five on target.

"We had to fight hard in the first half," Postecoglou told BBC Sport.

"Going a goal down wasn't ideal but we clawed our way back into it, and it is not easy. West Ham are a big physical side and they have got some speed as well.

"Second half we were outstanding. We upped the tempo and played some quality football, defended when we needed to and got our finishing right.

"I think we had some chances where we could have scored more but if we keep creating the goals will come. We want to be that sort of side that creates lots of chances.

"It was not about changing things. We knew there had been a bit of an arm wrestle and we always back ourselves to keep going at the intensity we always do and upping it and taking the game to West Ham. We knew that putting them under pressure here at home, we would eventually get there.

"It was a bad 45 minutes not a bad 90 minutes [v Brighton] so we were not that far away. In that game we stopped the things we had to do in the second half but today it was a 95-minute performance."

James Maddison set up Kulusevski's equaliser, though was taken off at half-time.

In the process, Maddison became just the second Tottenham player on record (since 2003-04) to create at least five chances in a Premier League game while playing 45 minutes or fewer, after Darren Anderton v Fulham in August 2003 (five chances created in 32 minutes).

On the substitution, Postecoglou said: "We needed more running power in midfield and Pape [Sarr] has lots of that, bags of energy and running.

"He really helped us to get control of the midfield and that gave us a good platform to go forward. Our general play improved from there and we looked dangerous going forward."

A rampant second-half performance saw Tottenham ease to a 4-1 win over London rivals West Ham on Saturday, easing the pressure on boss Ange Postecoglou.

Mohammed Kudus put West Ham ahead early on, firing home at the back post following good work from Jarrod Bowen on the Hammers' right, only for Dejan Kulusevski to fire in off the post to level in the 36th minute. 

Under-fire head coach Postecoglou surprisingly withdrew James Maddison at half-time despite the England man assisting the equaliser, but that change paid off as Spurs swiftly pulled clear.

Yves Bissouma swept home in the 52nd minute, then Son Heung-min's shot deflected off both Jean-Clair Todibo and Alphonse Areola before creeping in for an own goal.

Son then made it three goals in an eight-minute span to kill the contest, racing onto a pass from Maddison's replacement Pape Sarr before finishing at the near post.

To add to West Ham's woes, Kudus was sent off for violent conduct late on, with the VAR intervening to recommend an on-field review after he raised his hands to Micky van de Ven's face.

Julen Lopetegui's visitors drop to 14th in the Premier League table with eight points, while Tottenham go sixth with 13 ahead of Saturday's other fixtures.

Data Debrief: Kulusevski takes centre-stage

It was certainly a surprise to see Maddison withdrawn at half-time, after he drove over halfway to assist Kulusevski's equaliser.

He became just the second Tottenham player on record (since 2003-04) to create five or more chances in a Premier League game while playing 45 minutes or fewer, after Darren Anderton versus Fulham in August 2003 (five chances created in 32 minutes).

However, Postecoglou's switch certainly paid off as Kulusevski shone in a number 10 role.

His clever reverse pass allowed Son in to force the own goal, while the Swede also led all players on the pitch for dribbles (six), duels contested (15) and won (eight) and possession regains (eight) in an all-action display.

Ange Postecoglou is ready to “explode” when his Tottenham players return from the international break, using his side as “therapy” after their loss to Brighton last time out.

Spurs were on the end of a dismal defeat at the Amex Stadium against the Seagulls, squandering a two-goal lead to halt their five-match winning streak in all competitions.

Postecoglou faced criticism for the manner in which his side capitulated on the south coast, but wanted to make his feelings known ahead of their London derby with West Ham that will kick off the latest round of Premier League fixtures this weekend.

“You never know with the international [break] whether it will be good or bad, maybe for the players it was good, but I don’t like sitting on a loss. You want to get it out of your system and move on to the next challenge,” Postecoglou told Optus Sport.

“There can be a tendency to overanalyse, but it wasn’t a good one. That first half we played against Brighton was unbelievable – the best we have played all year – but I just didn’t like the second half and what we looked like.

“You know what international football, the game finishes and everyone goes, so the dressing room after the game is not the time to analyse. I have been sitting on it for 10 days now and I am ready to explode once they get back in the building and they will be my therapy.”

West Ham, meanwhile, come into the contest off the back of a first win in five games against Ipswich, relieving the pressure on new boss Julen Lopetegui.

Michail Antonio, Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta were all on target against the Tractor Boys and are aiming to produce back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since March 2023.

Lopetegui showered praise on Bowen, who missed out in England’s Nations League squad for their October fixtures. The Spaniard is expecting his star man to continue his form, with the aim of impressing incoming Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel.

“The best way to show your disappointment as a player is this,” Lopetegui said.

“When you don’t play in one lineup, when you don’t go away with England, it’s this. I think he knows that. He is always ready to help the team.

“He is always ready to work hard, to play well and that’s why he is a very good player.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tottenham – James Maddison

Including crosses, no player has played more passes into the opposition box in the Premier League this season than Tottenham’s Maddison (64).

The 27-year-old’s next goal will be his 50th in the competition, with the midfielder netting in two of his last three league games.

West Ham – Jarrod Bowen

Bowen has been involved in 34 shots this season (15 shots, 19 chances created), more than any other West Ham player.

Indeed, last time out against Ipswich, he became the first Hammers player to have five or more shots and create five or more chances in a single Premier League match since Michail Antonio against Arsenal in March 2021.

MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN

This will be the eighth time Tottenham and West Ham have faced each other in the first Premier League matchday back after an international break, with Spurs so far unbeaten in the previous seven (W4 D3).

Tottenham have also only won more Premier League games against Everton (31) and Manchester City (28) than they have vs West Ham (26).

But Postecoglou’s men have lost four of their last six Premier League London derbies (W1 D1), as many as they had in their previous 16 (W9 D3). They did beat Brentford 3-1 in their last such match, however.

In contrast, the Hammers are unbeaten in their last three Premier League London derbies on the road (W1 D2), with those accounting for all three of their away games so far this season. They last had a longer such run without defeat between January and December 1999 (six).

David Moyes’ West Ham side came from behind to win this exact fixture 2-1 last season, but they have not won consecutive league visits to Spurs since doing so in April and November 1966.

They will have to be wary of the threat of Brennan Johnson, who has scored in each of his last six games in all competitions for Tottenham. His six goals in run are more than he’d netted in his first 38 appearances for the club (five).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Tottenham – 56.6%

Draw – 22.4%

West Ham – 20.9%

Julen Lopetegui had plenty of praise for West Ham's "strong mentality" as his side triumphed 4-1 against Ipswich Town at London Stadium.

It marked the Hammers’ first win at home this Premier League season, while Ipswich remain winless.

The hosts went 1-0 ahead after 48 seconds through Michail Antonio - West Ham’s earliest Premier League goal on record.

Having been pegged back to level terms just five minutes later when Liam Delap scored following a corner, Lopetegui was pleased with how his side set about regaining control, with Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta on target.

"We started better but we suffered a very early goal too. We conceded from the first corner and maybe we could have done better. It was key as the team then showed a strong mentality," he said, as quoted by Sky Sports.

"In the bad moments, you have to be strong. We did against Brentford and we did again today. It's important to highlight as it will help us become a better team."

West Ham proved the dominant force, registering 23 shots with 17 of them coming from inside the box. It meant Lopetegui’s men accumulated an expected goals (xG) total of 3.17 by full-time.

"We're happy when we win. We work for this. We're happy for the fans as they deserve this and for the players as they are working very hard. It was against a good team. They didn't lose to Villa, Fulham, Southampton, Brighton so it's a good win,” he added.

For Lopetegui's counterpart Kieran McKenna, the result was another stark reminder of the challenges the Premier League presents for a promoted side.

The Tractor Boys sit in seventeenth, just one point above the relegation zone.

"It ended up a disappointing day for us. There was a large majority of the first half in which it was a competitive game that was evenly fought. We played some good football but we conceded poor goals which changed the momentum of the game," McKenna said.

"We didn't deal well enough with the direct play. The goals came from those moments so there's a lot for us to learn."

Ipswich allowed their opponents 28 touches inside their box, while they were reliant on the woodwork to stop West Ham from adding to their lead.

"They didn't have to work hard for their goals. Apart from the fourth, the goals came too easily. They have quality and they showed that with the goals and chances they created if you give them opportunities," reflected McKenna.