Hull v Tottenham
Monday 23 February 2009,
KC Stadium
Kickoff: 20:00
Hull
Hull City drew 0-0 away against Chelsea in their last league outing, to continue a run of nine league matches without a single win.
In their last five matches, Hull have drawn two (against Chelsea and West Brom) and lost three (against West Ham, Arsenal and Everton), to gain two points from a potential fifteen. The Tigers scored three times in these matches and conceded nine times, as they currently sit 12th in the league.
Hull will be without George Boateng (knee), and Jamie Bullard (knee) who underwent surgery for his injury on Wednesday, but Daniel Cousin could be fully recovered from his knee injury in time for the match.
Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur drew 0-0 at home against Arsenal in their last league outing, continuing a run that has seen them win only once in their last nine league outings.
In their last five matches, Tottenham have won one (against Stoke), drawn two (against Arsenal and Portsmouth), and lost two (against Bolton and Wigan) to earn themselves five points from a possible fifteen on offer. The Spurs scored six goals and conceded five in this matches, and they currently find themselves in 16th place in the league.
The Spurs will be without Jamie O’Hara (groin), Ledley King (hamstring), and Alan Hutton (metatarsal), although Jermaine Defoe may be fully recovered from his foot injury in time for this match.
Prediction
Hull defeated Tottenham 1-0 earlier this season at White Hart Lane, at a time when Hull were flying high in the league and Tottenham were sinking at the bottom.
New captain Robbie Keane’s return to the Spurs should start having a beneficial effect on the team immediately, with the side putting in an impressive performance to hold off Arsenal in the North London Derby two weeks ago.
With Tottenham potentially starting to find their feet in the league again under the management of Harry Redknapp, and Hull starting to slip towards the relegation zone after a brilliant start to the season, both teams will be looking for a much-needed win to further boost their survival chances. With Tottenham only two points above the relegation zone and Hull six, both teams will surely be feeling the pressure on them to come away with something from this match.
In spite of Hull’s better position on the league ladder, Tottenham should go into this match as close favourites. With Hull currently holding the worst home record in the league this season, and with Tottenham boosted by their recent high-profile signings, the overall strength of the Spurs squad should prove too much for the Hull side in what looks set to be a tightly contested match.
Back to the main Premier League Predictions page.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
