Team news

King set for Spurs start Tottenham defender Ledley King could start Monday's Barclays Premier League clash with West Ham.

King made a late appearance as a substitute in Saturday's goalless draw with Fulham after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Sebastien Bassong, the player King replaced, should be given the all-clear after taking a kick to the head.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp insists any doubts he had over Heurelho Gomes have been dispelled by the Brazilian goalkeeper's commanding form.

Gomes kept a third successive clean sheet against Fulham, producing a string of fine saves as Spurs escaped Craven Cottage with a point.

Redknapp admits to be being mystified by Gomes' reputation as one of the world's finest keepers when he initially assumed control of relegation-mired Spurs in October last year.

A succession of high-profile blunders had shattered the 28-year-old's confidence and left fans questioning just why the #7.8million signing from PSV Eindhoven was so highly rated.

But Gomes, with the help of goalkeeping coach Tony Parks, has flourished this season and Redknapp now understands the rave reviews.

"There was a time when I had my doubts about Gomes," said Redknapp.

"When I first arrived at Tottenham I thought 'we've got a problem here' because he was going through a bad time.

"Tony Parks coming has made a big difference. Tony had him working on the training ground while before he was looking at the technical side of it.

Redknapp must decide whether to start with Robbie Keane against West Ham following the club captain's ineffectual display against Fulham.

Keane has played second fiddle to Jermain Defoe recently and Redknapp admits he is struggling to adjust.

"Robbie Keane's been used to playing all the time. Recently he's been subbed or hasn't started and he's not found that easy," he said.

West Ham midfielder Mark Noble is a major doubt after suffering a hamstring injury in the victory over Portsmouth.

Valon Behrami is available to step in after making his comeback from a knee complaint off the bench against Pompey but Danny Gabbidon missed the match with a hamstring problem.

Striker Carlton Cole (knee) and forward Kieron Dyer (hamstring) are both still sidelined.

Scott Parker's form for West Ham could lead to a new question for pub quizzes up and down the country if he earns another England recall.

The 29-year-old midfielder has three caps, each while at different clubs, and the Hammers will be a fourth should Fabio Capello look at him as an option ahead of the World Cup in South Africa next summer.

His form this season has seen Gianfranco Zola talk up his skipper's chances for England, with his man-of-the-match performance against Portsmouth getting West Ham three valuable Barclays Premier League points in their bid to climb out of relegation trouble.

"Hopefully I can get another cap," Parker said. "We'll see what happens. All I can do is keep playing well for West Ham and let other people decide. If I can do that I'll see where it gets me." Parker struggled last season with a chronic groin problem but has declared himself fully recovered and is feeling the benefit of a full pre-season. He feels he is in his best form since 2005.

"During my first year at Newcastle I was playing some good stuff and felt pretty confident there," he said.

"I've realised that when things are going well in football you have to keep the momentum going and keep running with it. There are times when things go bad but at the moment it's going well on a personal level.

"I've hit a bit of good form and feel quite strong. I've not picked up any injuries and had a good pre-season under my belt as well. It's from that. When you're confident and playing well things seem to happen for you." With West Ham's financial situation uncertain, Parker has inevitably been suggested as a possible departure from Upton Park.

Tottenham vs West Ham

Last modified 12:54 09/01/10

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The worst job in football does not belong to one man. It lands on a different sap every match.

It’s not being a manager at the top or a manager at the bottom. It’s not being a striker out of form or a malcontent left on the bench.

No, the worst job in football is marking Aaron Lennon in the kind of form he’s in now. Unplayable, unstoppable, relentless.

Yesterday, the first guy who tried to do it, West Ham left-back Herita Ilunga, went off after a quarter of an hour with a tight hamstring.

Well, they said it was a tight hamstring. In the old days, Paddy Crerand would have called it twisted blood.

Lennon had already run Ilunga ragged by then. He’d already made the first goal for Luka Modric with a darting run to the byline.

The full-back’s replacement, Jonathan Spector, didn’t fare much better. Lennon tore him to pieces, too.

And just when West Ham looked as though they might snatch a late equaliser, it was Lennon who set up Defoe to score the second goal that sealed a win which took Spurs up to fourth place in the Premier League.

If Lennon can maintain this level through to the summer, there will be no doubt about whether the Spurs winger makes Fabio Capello’s squad.

If he keeps playing like this, he won’t just make the squad, he’ll be the first man up the steps and on to the plane to South Africa.

“We keep telling him how good he is and what he is capable of,” Spurs boss Harry Redknapp said after the match, “and he is playing with a great deal of confidence.

“We work hard on getting him the ball as much as we can and Aaron has responded to that. We are an open team. We go for it and we create chances and Aaron is very important to us.”

Inspired by Lennon and by an elegantly authoritative display from central defenders Ledley King and Michael Dawson, this was a comfortable victory for Redknapp’s team against a West Ham side that lacked any threat up front.

Spurs had taken the lead in the 11th minute as West Ham waited to replace Scott Parker, who had been reduced to a passenger by a hamstring injury.

Before Zola could get Parker off, Kovac gave the ball away in the centre of midfield and Spurs outflanked their opponents down the right.

Lennon produced a lovely flick to free Defoe and scampered on to the return, easily outstripping Ilunga.

Lennon cut his cross back from the byline and when West Ham could not clear it, Luka Modric mis-hit his volley into the ground and it bounced over Green into the back of the net.

Lennon is in brilliant form and West Ham had no answer to his pace and dribbling down the right. When they tried to get tight to him, he span behind them. When they gave him space, he ran them ragged.

Ten minutes before half time, Lennon dragged Spector out of position and Palacios sprinted into the gap they had left and crossed for Crouch.

Crouch flicked the ball goalwards with his right foot but Tomkins flung himself in the way and the ball bounced off his back to safety.

Defoe whistled a free kick inches wide of Green’s right hand post a minute before half time and on the West Ham bench, Zola slid deeper and deeper beneath his warm coat.

The second half brought West Ham little respite from Lennon. Five minutes after the interval, he cut in from the right and laid off a short ball for Palacios.

Palacios hit his shot sweetly and it was hurtling towards the top corner before it cannoned off the head of Upson. Upson shook his head ruefully.

Spurs were pressing hard for a second goal now and Huddlestone lashed a cross shot against the foot of Green’s right hand post with the England keeper standing rooted to the spot.

Diamanti was booked for two hopelessly mistimed tackles on Lennon in quick succession, another sign of West Ham’s inability to deal with him.

Lennon rode the second challenge and swung over a deep cross to the back post, Crouch nodded it back across goal and as Kovac dithered, Corluka nipped in and headed just over the bar.

West Ham had barely had a shot but as the second half wore on and Spurs failed to extend their lead, the visitors grew a little more bold.

Kovac blasted a shot over the bar 15 minutes from the end and when they brought on Junior Stanislas soon afterwards, they seemed to be gaining momentum.

But then Spurs caught them cold eight minutes from time. They broke from a corner, Lennon carried the ball into the visitors’ half and fed it to Defoe.

Defoe danced across the face of the West Ham box, sidestepping one challenge after another, and fired in a vicious drive that Green could only bat away with his arm.

The ball rebounded straight to Defoe and this time his shot was too powerful for the Hammers’ keeper. Green got a hand to it but could only deflect it into the roof of the net.

What they need in the New Year...

Spurs: Luka Modric back to full fitness.

West Ham: a new striker, a new owner