West Ham United host Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium at the weekend, and Toby Alderweireld has praised one Hammers star.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men return to the Premier League on Saturday looking for their fourth victory in a row, but they face a Hammers side that enjoyed a dramatic turnaround not long before the international break.
The Irons beat Everton and Manchester United, and are just one of two teams to deny Chelsea a win. They lost against Brighton just before the break, but there is a lot more confidence within Manuel Pellegrini’s ranks after a start that saw them lose their first four games.
Unsurprisingly, Arnautovic has been key to their transformation with four goals in the league this term, including one in both of their victories. And ahead of Saturday’s clash, Alderweireld hinted that keeping the Austrian quiet could be Spurs’ toughest task when they meet.
“Arnautovic is a very good player. He is quick, smart, strong and he can score,” he said, as reported by the London Evening Standard. “He’s an all-round player so we have to be at our top level to beat them.
“It’s a derby and it’s always difficult there.”
The battle between Arnautovic and Alderweireld looks set to be a fascinating one. The Belgian is back to being a key man for Tottenham this season and is showing some excellent form.
But dealing with Arnautovic will be one of his toughest tests of the domestic campaign so far. If he can ensure that the West Ham forward has an off day, Spurs have to be considered overwhelming favourites to pick up the three points.
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