Tottenham Hotspur will face a tough test to maintain their unbeaten league run on Saturday, when they welcome bitter rivals West Ham United, for their fiery derby clash.
Looking to get back to winning ways
Mauricio Pochettino's side remain the only team to not taste defeat so far in the Premier League campaign, as they look to better their spectacular efforts from last season. They have shown sparks of their excellence, with the 2-0 defeat of fellow title contenders Manchester City, being the highlight.
However they have struggled since the win over Pep Guardiola's side, failing to win since then, with two defeats and five draws in their last seven matches in all competitions. This poor run of form continued before the international break, as they made the small journey across North London to take on bitter rivals Arsenal.
It looked like they would be tasting defeat for the first time after Kevin Wimmer's own goal saw them fall behind at the Emirates Stadium. However Spurs managed to save a point, thanks to Harry Kane, and Pochettino will be hoping that the return to fitness of his star striker will see Spurs return to winning ways.
Spoiling the party
West Ham have had a nightmare start to the campaign, but Slaven Bilic's side look to be on the rise, and will want to get one over their bitter rivals with three points on Saturday afternoon.
Optimism was high around the club after their sensational season last year , coupled with the move to London Stadium. However it has proven to be quite the opposite, with just one win in their opening seven league matches.
However a change in the system from Bilic to a 3-4-3 formation seems to have turned around their fortunes, with three consecutive wins with the 2-1 EFL Cup win over Chelsea been the highlight.
They did drop off before the international break, with the 2-0 defeat to Everton, followed by the visit of Mark Hughes' in-form Stoke City side. A own goal from Glenn Whelan looked to have secured the points, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw after gifting Bojan a equaliser. West Ham are currently wallowing in 17th, and Bilic will be desperate for three points to start a surge up the table.
Team news
The big blow for Pochettino will be the fitness of young starlet Dele Alli. A knee injury ruled him out of Gareth Southgate's England squad, and it is strong possibility of him being rested ahead of the Champions League clash with Monaco. Toby Alderweireld, Erik Lamela and Ben Davies will remain unavailable for the Argentine.
Bilic's big absentee is captain Mark Noble, who picked up his fifth yellow card in the stalemate with the Potters. A boost will be the return of Winston Reid, who has recovered from a hamstring strain. The trip to White Hart Lane may also see the return of Diafra Sakho, who hasn't appeared this season due to a back injury.
Tottenham Hotspur will host West Ham United at White Hart Lane on Saturday, November 19 with kick-off at 5:30pm GMT.