Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of Tottenham against West Ham from White Hart Lane.

Vertonghen combines with Bale before whipping a ball in at Defoe. Reid is there and hacks away. Sandro intercepts as West Ham attempt to break before slipping a ball in behind for Defoe at a tightish angle. Defoe looks to lift it over Jaaskelainen but can’t get enough on it.

Dempsey finds Defoe on the shoulder of Tomkins. Defoe cuts back inside and lashes a wild effort high and wide from a good 30 yards. Bale had made great ground on his outside and is not shy in venting his frustrations at his colleague.

Defoe has an early sight of goal but his touch is a little heavy and Tomkins gets across the diminutive front man and clears for a throw. A better touch there and he was in.

West Ham get us underway bidding to win at the Lane for the first time since 1999. They immediately go long but Spurs mop that up easily.

Referee Andre Marriner gets this one underway to a near deafening din in North London.

MATCH ODDS: Spurs 7/10, West Ham 9/2, Draw 12/5.

Sam Allardyce: "We know we are in a very good position but this run of fixtures could cause us a few problems. I think we will play well and I do not think we will let ourselves down but we could play our best in the next four games and lose all four. If Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are all at their best then it is going to be very difficult for us."

Managers quotes: Villas Boas on West Ham’s loan signing, Andy Carroll’s lack of goals: ”He fits their style of play which is so effective, very direct but with great results. Obviously he's not scoring as much as he wants to but he's creating chances for others.”

SOME MATCH FACTS: Tottenham have won seven and lost one of their last 10 Premier League games against West Ham with former Hammer, Jermain Defoe, scoring in four of his last seven Premier League games for Tottenham against West Ham. Spurs have not lost three Premier League games in a row at White Hart Lane since September 2008, but If Premier League games lasted 80 minutes this season, Spurs would be second, behind West Brom.

Today marks the start of a relatively difficult run of games for the Hammers with a midweek clash at Manchester United followed by another London derby with Chelsea next weekend.

As events of the last week have shown, football is a results driven business. And Sam Allardyce – often derided by critics as a long ball, “anti-football” merchant – has steered the Hammers into seventh place on their return to the Premier League with his approach having the universal backing of Upton Park. That approach, to be fair, has involved some good, expansive football.

A pretty abject display in the Italian capital against Lazio in the Europa League was overshadowed by that shocking stabbing and controversial anti-Semitic chanting but Spurs are in need of a win following damaging domestic defeats to Wigan, Manchester City and Arsenal.

Four defeats in their last five Premier League games does not read well for Andre Villas Boas. Spurs started the day a place and two points behind their London neighbours West Ham in eighth but victory would put them within touching distance of the Champions League spots such is the open nature of the 2012-13 Premier League.

TEAMS: Tottenham: Lloris, Walker, Caulker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Huddlestone, Sandro, Lennon, Bale, Dempsey, Defoe. Subs: Friedel, Gallas, Naughton, Dembele, Sigurdsson, Livermore, Carroll. /// West Ham: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Reid, Tomkins, McCartney, Noble, Nolan, Diame, O'Neil, Maiga, Carroll. Subs: Spiegel, Demel, Collins, Moncur, Taylor, Jarvis, Cole.

Jack Collison and Ricardo Vaz Te have failed to recover from knee and shoulder injuries respectively and are out, as is Yossi Benayoun but winger Matt Jarvis returns to the squad after overcoming a shin injury.

TEAM NEWS: Mousa Dembele felt some stiffness in his hip following his substitute appearance against Lazio on Thursday, and is only fit enough for the bench. Emmanuel Adebayor serves the first of his three game ban following his sending off against former club Arsenal. Scott Parker, Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Younes Kaboul remain unavailable. Lloris continues in goal.