Sam Allardyce’s Baggies visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the very first time on Sunday lunchtime (ko 12pm).
Albion will hoping to spring a surprise at Spurs, who have their sights set on securing Champions League football next season.
Spurs
Their last time out
Spurs were narrowly beaten 1-0 at home by Chelsea on Thursday night after a solitary Jorginho first-half strike from the spot.
It was Tottenham's third consecutive Premier League loss after previous defeats to Liverpool and Brighton, and boss José Mourinho will be keen to turn their fortunes around and mount a charge towards the top four.
In the dugout
José Mourinho is midway through his first full season in charge of Spurs.
The legendary Portuguese manager took over from current PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino at the north London outfit in November 2019. Despite an injury-ravaged campaign, the three-time Premier League winner guided Tottenham to a sixth-placed finish in 2020. Their final standing also saw them qualify for the 2020/21 UEFA Europa League.
Mourinho is no stranger to English football having previously enjoyed several years of success. The majority of those came during his two spells at Chelsea, where he helped them win eight trophies.
Having managed several illustrious sides during his career; including Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Porto, Manchester Untied was his last destination prior to taking over at Spurs.
During more than two-and-a-half years at Old Trafford, the 58-year-old won three trophies; the Community Shield in 2016 as well as the Europa League and the EFL Cup in 2017. And lifting the EFL Cup meant he became the first ever United boss to win a major trophy in their debut season.
In addition to his European success in Greater Manchester, Mourinho has also secured two UEFA Champions League titles during his stints in Portugal and Italy respectively. And having guided Spurs to the last 32 of the Europa League, as well as an EFL Cup final in April, the 58-year-old will be eager to bring silverware and success to Tottenham this year.
One to watch
Heung-Min Son has continued his fine attacking form during the 2020/21 season.
The South Korean international, who is also his nation's captain, recorded an impressive 30 direct goal contributions (18 goals, 12 assists) over 41 appearances last term.
And the free-scoring attacker hasn’t let standards drop this year, with 26 goal contributions already this season. Keeping Spurs’ joint top-scorer quiet will be vital for the Baggies on Sunday afternoon.
Our last meeting
Albion’s valiant efforts were overcome by Harry Kane’s late header in the reverse fixture at The Hawthorns in November 2020.
The Baggies last won away at Spurs in September 2014. Current first team coach James Morrison was the match-winner as his header secured all three points.
Stats
Spurs
- Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane are the joint-second highest scorers in the division (12).
- Spurs are joint-third in the PL for hitting the woodwork (11).
- Tottenham have won just one of their last six PL home games against Albion.
Albion
- The Baggies have scored in seven of their last 10 away games against Spurs.
- Albion have lost just two of their last eight trips to Spurs.
- The Baggies have scored in their last two matches.
Head to head
| Spurs wins | Draw | Albion wins | |
| League | 48 | 33 | 50 |
| FA Cup | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| League Cup | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 57 | 36 | 53 |
Our one to watch
Ainsley Maitland-Niles will be pushing to make his debut for the Baggies after joining the club on deadline day.
The versatile midfielder made the move to the west Midlands from Spurs' rivals, Arsenal. Maitland-Niles had made 21 appearances for the Gunners before departing at the start of the month, as he seeks more game time in the Premier League.
The England international, along with fellow deadline-day signing Okay Yokuşlu, will provide height and energy to Albion’s midfield as they look to turn their form around in the capital this weekend.
Follow the game
Gez Mulholland will be joined by once midfield-now-microphone maestro Andy Johnson to provide proudly partisan commentary and an expert insight for WBA Radio.
To listen live to Baggies-biased commentary on WBA Radio for free for every home and away match during the 2020/21 season all you have to do is sign up for a free My Albion account.
If you haven't already you can create your My Albion account here. Click Create Account or register quickly with your Facebook or Google account.
Live commentary starts from 15 minutes before kick-off and will be accessible through the live match centre or WBA TV.
If you have any issues registering or accessing your My Albion account please contact myalbion@wbafc.co.uk.
The game is also available to watch on BT Sport.