Jose Mourinho will kick off life as Tottenham Hotspur manager with a trip to West Ham United in the Premier League for what promises to be a fiery London derby on Saturday afternoon.
Spurs supporters will be desperate to see the 56-year-old's arrival galvanise their players ahead of a potentially tricky meeting with Manuel Pellegrini's side.
West Ham United
© Reuters
Perhaps Mourinho will consider this weekend's opponent as something of a blessing due to West Ham's recent inexplicable dip in form.
Indeed, it is possible to split West Ham's 2019-20 campaign into two distinct categories, such is the rapidity with which results turned.
A 2-0 victory over Manchester United in September extended their unbeaten run to six games, during which they had won on four occasions, prompting many to tip West Ham for a finish in the top half of the table.
Since then, however, West Ham have failed to win any of their last seven games amid a string of disjointed performances, including a 4-0 defeat to Oxford United and a 3-0 loss at Burnley.
All of a sudden, after seemingly laying such a strong foundation for the season ahead, the Hammers find themselves 16th in the Premier League table, just five points ahead of 18th-placed Watford.
Pellegrini will know that the basic problem lies with an inability to take full initiative during crucial periods of a game. Goals have not dried up, but a sense of control has certainly faded.
However, with Mourinho sitting in the dugout, now in charge of West Ham's biggest Premier League rival, this is the kind of dynamic that can bring the best out of the East London side.
Indeed, as seen with West Ham's 3-1 win over Mourinho's United last year, Pellegrini's men can be highly dangerous when they assume underdog status ahead of a big game at home.
Recent form: DLLDLL
Tottenham Hotspur
© Reuters
The arrival of Mourinho at Spurs feels decidedly surreal, although nobody would doubt that this move has been in the offing for some time.
Sitting 14th in the Premier League table and without an away win in the Premier League since January, it had become increasingly clear that the Mauricio Pochettino project at Spurs was no longer chiming with its participants.
Amazingly enough, the remarkable feat of reaching the Champions League final just five months ago served as the architect of Pochettino's downfall - a moment so sublime and glorious that it could not be anything other than the zenith of an impressive five years at the helm.
It is to Pochettino's eternal credit that the Argentine has turned this club from a middling Premier League side, managed by people like Tim Sherwood and Martin Jol, to one of the most formidable units in European football.
A consequence of this, however, is that the exceptionally high standards must be maintained, and Pochettino will know that he has fallen below them since August.
At a big club, when standards have dropped and a blank slate is needed, who do you look to first? Mourinho, of course.
For Spurs, a club with just one major trophy over the last decade, the sight of Mourinho entering the dressing room serves to enunciate the fact that this is a club that now expects itself to challenge for silverware.
As somebody who has won trophies in his first season at Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and United, Spurs fans will hope that Mourinho's arrival following the departure of Pochettino marks the transition from the era of promising development to one of scalping major trophies.
Recent form: WLDLDD
Recent form (all competitions): DWLDWD
Team News
© Reuters
Former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is a doubt for the game due to a groin problem, although captain Mark Noble is expected to make a return from an ankle injury.
Michail Antonio, sidelined for most of the season, is also set for a return to action, although Lukasz Fabianski and Manuel Lanzini are definitely out.
Mourinho's only long-term injury problem is Hugo Lloris, who remains some way away from recovering after damaging elbow ligaments in October.
Erik Lamela and Jan Vertonghen are both expected to recover from thigh problems in time for the meeting in East London on Saturday.
West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Roberto; Zabaleta, Balbuena, Diop, Cresswell; Rice, Noble; Yarmolenko, Anderson, Lanzini; Haller
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Gazzaniga; Foyth, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Rose; Ndombele, Sissoko; Eriksen, Dele, Son; Kane
Head To Head
West Ham's last meeting with Spurs came in April as Antonio, who could make a return from the bench this weekend, scored the goal that condemned the North London side to their first defeat at the club's new stadium.
Despite the two sides often existing at different ends of the table, recent history suggests that the white heat of a derby renders this game as a pretty even contest.
In the past 10 meetings between the two teams, West Ham have won four times and Spurs have emerged victorious on five occasions, highlighting the way in which this fixture can throw up peculiar results.
Interestingly, however, West Ham have not beaten Spurs at home in the Premier League since a 1-0 win in May 2017 - a result that effectively ended the club's title challenge.
We say: West Ham United 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur
The boost that Mourinho's arrival gives to any group will be there to see on Saturday, as Spurs head to East London deeply determined to produce a performance of unswerving discipline.
Against a side that is currently experiencing a poor patch of form, this galvanised mindset will play a decisive role, handing Spurs a much-needed first away win in the league since January.
body check tags ::
