LIVE MATCH CENTRE
25 August, 2012
| Tottenham Hotspur |
FT
11
|
West Bromwich Albion |
Benoit Assou-Ekotto 74'
1 - 0
1 - 1
James Morrison 90'
HT:
0 - 0
White Hart Lane (Attendance: 36,166)
Tottenham Hotspur
Brad Friedel
24
Kyle Walker
28
William Gallas
13
Jan Vertonghen
5
Benoit Assou-Ekotto
32
Jake Livermore
29
Sandro
30
Aaron Lennon
7
Rafael Van der Vaart
10
Gareth Bale
11
Jermain Defoe
18
Substitutes
Jermaine Jenas
21
Gylfi Sigurdsson
22
Emmanuel Adebayor
25
Carlo Cudicini
23
Kyle Naughton
16
Andros Townsend
31
Steven Caulker
33
West Bromwich Albion
1
Ben Foster
2
Steven Reid
23
Gareth McAuley
3
Jonas Olsson
6
Liam Ridgewell
21
Youssouf Mulumbu
5
Claudio Yacob
17
Graham Dorrans
7
James Morrison
32
Marc-Antoine Fortune
9
Shane Long
Substitutes
8
Markus Rosenberg
11
Chris Brunt
20
Romelu Lukaku
22
Zoltan Gera
13
Boaz Myhill
28
Billy Jones
25
Craig Dawson
Referee: Mike Dean
90'
Game Over
Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 West Bromwich Albion
90'
Offside
William Gallas (Tottenham Hotspur)
90'
Foul
Emmanuel Adebayor fouled by James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion)
90'
Goal Kick
Brad Friedel (Tottenham Hotspur)
90'
Foul
Kyle Walker fouled by James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion)
90'
Goal
James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion), Assist by Gareth McAuley
90'
Shot on Target
James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion)
90'
Shot on Target
Romelu Lukaku (West Bromwich Albion)
90'
Cross
Markus Rosenberg (West Bromwich Albion)
90'
Corner Kick
Chris Brunt (West Bromwich Albion)
90'
Throw-In
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
89'
Shot on Target
Gareth McAuley (West Bromwich Albion)
89'
Corner Kick
James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion)
87'
Throw-In
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
87'
Throw-In
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
86'
Corner Kick
Gylfi Sigurdsson (Tottenham Hotspur)
86'
Throw-In
Liam Ridgewell (West Bromwich Albion)
85'
Corner Kick
Gylfi Sigurdsson (Tottenham Hotspur)
85'
Shot on Target
Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
83'
Cross
Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur)
83'
Cross
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
82'
Corner Kick
Gylfi Sigurdsson (Tottenham Hotspur)
81'
Yellow Card
Yellow Card - Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
81'
Foul
Gareth Bale fouled by Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
81'
Shot
Romelu Lukaku (West Bromwich Albion)
81'
Throw-In
Liam Ridgewell (West Bromwich Albion)
80'
Goal Kick
Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion)
80'
Throw-In
Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
79'
Shot
Gylfi Sigurdsson (Tottenham Hotspur)
79'
Offside
Romelu Lukaku (West Bromwich Albion)
79'
Goal Kick
Brad Friedel (Tottenham Hotspur)
78'
Substitution
Markus Rosenberg on for Marc-Antoine Fortune (West Bromwich Albion)
78'
Corner Kick
Chris Brunt (West Bromwich Albion)
77'
Cross
Liam Ridgewell (West Bromwich Albion)
77'
Throw-In
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
77'
Substitution
Jermaine Jenas on for Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur)
76'
Foul
Emmanuel Adebayor (Tottenham Hotspur)
75'
Offside
Romelu Lukaku (West Bromwich Albion)
75'
Substitution
Chris Brunt on for Graham Dorrans (West Bromwich Albion)
74'
Goal
Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur)
74'
Shot on Target
Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur)
74'
Corner Kick
Gylfi Sigurdsson (Tottenham Hotspur)
73'
Substitution
Gylfi Sigurdsson on for Sandro (Tottenham Hotspur)
73'
Shot on Target
Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
72'
Throw-In
Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur)
71'
Throw-In
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
70'
Throw-In
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
70'
Cross
Marc-Antoine Fortune (West Bromwich Albion)
69'
Throw-In
Liam Ridgewell (West Bromwich Albion)
69'
Shot on Target
Marc-Antoine Fortune (West Bromwich Albion)
69'
Throw-In
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
68'
Shot on Target
Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur)
68'
Cross
Youssouf Mulumbu (West Bromwich Albion)
67'
Corner Kick
James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion)
66'
Throw-In
Liam Ridgewell (West Bromwich Albion)
66'
Corner Kick
Graham Dorrans (West Bromwich Albion)
65'
Shot on Target
Romelu Lukaku (West Bromwich Albion)
65'
Offside
Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur)
64'
Goal Kick
Brad Friedel (Tottenham Hotspur)
63'
Cross
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
63'
Throw-In
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
63'
Substitution
Romelu Lukaku on for Shane Long (West Bromwich Albion)
63'
Substitution
Emmanuel Adebayor on for Rafael Van der Vaart (Tottenham Hotspur)
62'
Shot on Target
Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur)
62'
Throw-In
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
61'
Goal Kick
Brad Friedel (Tottenham Hotspur)
61'
Shot
Marc-Antoine Fortune (West Bromwich Albion)
61'
Throw-In
Shane Long (West Bromwich Albion)
60'
Cross
Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur)
60'
Goal Kick
Brad Friedel (Tottenham Hotspur)
59'
Shot
Shane Long (West Bromwich Albion)
59'
Cross
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
59'
Free Kick
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
59'
Foul
Marc-Antoine Fortune fouled by Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur)
59'
Throw-In
Liam Ridgewell (West Bromwich Albion)
58'
Throw-In
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
57'
Goal Kick
Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion)
57'
Shot
Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur)
56'
Goal Kick
Brad Friedel (Tottenham Hotspur)
56'
Shot
James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion)
55'
Foul
Gareth McAuley fouled by Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur)
55'
Shot on Target
Graham Dorrans (West Bromwich Albion)
55'
Throw-In
Liam Ridgewell (West Bromwich Albion)
55'
Throw-In
Liam Ridgewell (West Bromwich Albion)
54'
Cross
Graham Dorrans (West Bromwich Albion)
54'
Throw-In
Liam Ridgewell (West Bromwich Albion)
54'
Corner Kick
Rafael Van der Vaart (Tottenham Hotspur)
53'
Shot on Target
Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur)
53'
Free Kick
Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur)
52'
Foul
Jermain Defoe fouled by Claudio Yacob (West Bromwich Albion)
52'
Goal Kick
Brad Friedel (Tottenham Hotspur)
51'
Goal Kick
Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion)
51'
Shot
Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
50'
Offside
Shane Long (West Bromwich Albion)
50'
Cross
Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
49'
Goal Kick
Brad Friedel (Tottenham Hotspur)
48'
Cross
James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion)
48'
Free Kick
James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion)
48'
Yellow Card
Yellow Card - Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur)
48'
Foul
Marc-Antoine Fortune fouled by Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur)
46'
Cross
Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur)
46'
Start Half
45'
Half Over
Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 West Bromwich Albion
45'
Throw-In
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
45'
Throw-In
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
45'
Shot on Target
Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur)
45'
Cross
Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
45'
Goal Kick
Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion)
42'
Throw-In
Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur)
41'
Corner Kick
Rafael Van der Vaart (Tottenham Hotspur)
41'
Shot
Sandro (Tottenham Hotspur)
40'
Throw-In
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
40'
Throw-In
Liam Ridgewell (West Bromwich Albion)
40'
Throw-In
Liam Ridgewell (West Bromwich Albion)
38'
Throw-In
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
38'
Goal Kick
Brad Friedel (Tottenham Hotspur)
38'
Foul
Shane Long fouled by Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur)
37'
Goal Kick
Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion)
37'
Shot
Rafael Van der Vaart (Tottenham Hotspur)
37'
Free Kick
Rafael Van der Vaart (Tottenham Hotspur)
36'
Foul
Jermain Defoe fouled by Jonas Olsson (West Bromwich Albion)
36'
Cross
Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur)
34'
Foul
Youssouf Mulumbu fouled by Sandro (Tottenham Hotspur)
33'
Throw-In
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
33'
Goal Kick
Brad Friedel (Tottenham Hotspur)
33'
Shot
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
33'
Free Kick
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
32'
Foul
Youssouf Mulumbu fouled by Jake Livermore (Tottenham Hotspur)
31'
Foul
Graham Dorrans fouled by Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur)
31'
Corner Kick
Rafael Van der Vaart (Tottenham Hotspur)
30'
Cross
Rafael Van der Vaart (Tottenham Hotspur)
30'
Free Kick
Rafael Van der Vaart (Tottenham Hotspur)
30'
Yellow Card
Yellow Card - Youssouf Mulumbu (West Bromwich Albion)
30'
Foul
Jermain Defoe fouled by Youssouf Mulumbu (West Bromwich Albion)
29'
Throw-In
Liam Ridgewell (West Bromwich Albion)
28'
Throw-In
Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur)
28'
Foul
Gareth McAuley fouled by Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
27'
Throw-In
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
26'
Cross
Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
25'
Goal Kick
Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion)
24'
Shot
Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur)
24'
Cross
Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
24'
Throw-In
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
24'
Cross
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
24'
Cross
Liam Ridgewell (West Bromwich Albion)
23'
Throw-In
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
23'
Throw-In
Liam Ridgewell (West Bromwich Albion)
22'
Throw-In
Liam Ridgewell (West Bromwich Albion)
21'
Cross
Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur)
20'
Throw-In
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
19'
Throw-In
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
18'
Throw-In
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
17'
Cross
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
17'
Goal Kick
Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion)
16'
Shot
Rafael Van der Vaart (Tottenham Hotspur)
16'
Cross
Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur)
15'
Throw-In
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
14'
Shot
Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur)
14'
Cross
Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
12'
Throw-In
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
10'
Throw-In
Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
10'
Cross
Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
9'
Goal Kick
Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion)
8'
Shot
Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
8'
Cross
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
7'
Goal Kick
Brad Friedel (Tottenham Hotspur)
6'
Throw-In
Liam Ridgewell (West Bromwich Albion)
6'
Cross
Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
6'
Shot
Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur)
4'
Throw-In
Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur)
3'
Goal Kick
Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion)
2'
Shot
Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
1'
Foul
Benoit Assou-Ekotto fouled by Marc-Antoine Fortune (West Bromwich Albion)
1'
Throw-In
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
1'
Start Half

What a dramatic finish! Spurs took an age to open the scoring, but couldn't hold onto their lead right up until the final whistle. The home side looked decent in the first half hour and came close on a few occasions, although Ben Foster never actually had to make a save until the second half. West Brom were solid in response to the pressure, and had a flurry of their own towards the end of the half. In the second period the football was thoroughly entertaining as both sides went in search of the opener. Jermaine Defoe came within inches at one end while Marc Antoine-Fortune and lively substitute Romelo Lukaku drew splendid saves from Brad Friedel at the other, before Benoit Assou-Ekotto eventually made it 1-0 on 74 minutes with a deflected shot. More chances came at both end as the Baggies pushed for an equaliser and were left exposed themselves, but it was the efforts at the former end that won out as a goalmouth scramble in injury time ended with James Morrison firing in to make it 1-1. A draw was a fair result, and the crowd have most certainly got their money's worth from an entertainment perspective.
Jan Vertonghen was miles offside as he fired the ball in in the dying seconds, and the flag was up early. James Morrison's late leveller means it finishes 1-1 at White Hart Lane.
The young, fresh Romelo Lukaku comes up against the tired, experienced William Gallas, and it's the latter who wins the duel in the Spurs box as Lukaku tries to take on the centre-back.
Seconds after William Gallas clears a Romelo Lukaku shot off the line, a first-time effort from JAMES MORRISON flies into the bottom corner! West Bromwich Albion are level with three-and-a-half minutes of injury time left to play!
Pandemonium in the box ensues from a James Morrison corner, and from the melee Benoit Assou-Ekotto ends up heading against his own crossbar!
Gareth McAuley heads away a Gylfi Sigurdsson corner - the umpteenth high ball in from wide that again either McAuley or Jonas Olsson have dealt with this afternoon.
Ben Foster parries a Gareth Bale shot before Gareth McAuley turns the ball behind for a corner.
A crazy minute or so sees a good few attempted attacks at both ends with no end product. Benoit Assou-Ekotto still seems in dreamland since his goal, although West Bromwich Albion are looking as exposed as Prince Harry at times as they push for an equaliser.
Steven Reid is booked for a late challenge.
Romelo Lukaku has been West Bromwich Albion's best player since coming on. He rounds William Gallas and Jan Vertonghen, before Vertonghen recovers brilliantly and gets a block in to deny the striker.
Jonas Olsson blocks excellently to prevent a Gylfi Sigurdsson shot from testing Ben Foster.
Marc-Antoine Fortune makes way for Markus Rosenberg.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto may still have his head in the clouds after that goal, as he allows James Morrison to ghost past him. The West Brom man dallies, though, and the chance slips away.
Andre Villas-Boas makes a change with the recent change of score-line in mind, replacing Jermain Defoe with Jermaine Jenas.
Chris Brunt is on for Graeme Dorrans.
A sweetly-struck BENOIT ASSOU-EKOTTO shot takes a massive deflection off a defender and wrongfoots Ben Foster - Tottenham are in front!
Gylfi Sigurdsson is on for his home league debut in place of Sandro.
Gareth Bale shows he's equally effective on the right-hand side, cutting inside on his left foot before sending a swerving, dipping shot goalwards. Ben Foster plays it safe and palms the ball out for a corner.
Graeme Dorrans slides in Marc-Antoine Fortune, and Brad Friedel has to be quick off his line to narrow the angle and make the save.
Jermain Defoe drives a low shot at Ben Foster, despite Gareth Bale screaming for the ball wide to his left.
Straight after Jermain Defoe has a goal ruled out for being in an offside position, Romelo Lukaku has a great chance to open the scoring at the other end. Brad Friedel pulls off a top drawer save to keep it at 0-0.
Romelo Lukaku is into the action straight away, but can only find touch with a wayward shot. I think it was a shot, anyway.
Steve Clarke makes a change immediately after Andre Villas-Boas, bringing on Romelo Lukaku for Shane Long. The Irishman has been largely anonymous in this game.
Emmanuel Adebayor replaces Rafael Van der Vaart to make his first Tottenham Hotspur appearance since joining on a permanent basis. Ade scored twice when Tottenham Hotspur beat West Brom 3-1 at White Hart Lane last season, with Jermain Defoe scoring the other.
Marc-Antoine Fortune somehow finds the top tier of the stand behind Brad Friedel's goal with what seemed like a rugby conversion. West Bromwich Albion had been having a good spell up till then.
Liam Ridgewell heads a Steven Reid set-piece not far wide. It was a needless foul from Benoit Assou-Ekotto to concede the free kick.
Best chance of the half so far. Jermain Defoe cuts in on his right foot from the left flank and fires inches wide of Ben Foster's right-hand post.
James Morrison balloons an effort well wide from distance.
Now it's Brad Friedel's turn to be tested for the first time, as he keeps out a shot from a tight angle by Graeme Dorrans.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto gets the dip needed to get a free kick from the edge of the 'D' up and over the wall, but it's pretty much straight above Ben Foster's head. The West Bromwich Albion keeper tips over the bar, making what I think might be the first actual save in this game.
A cross-field pass from Sandro is skillfully taken down by Gareth Bale, who then shifts the ball onto his right foot and slices a finish high and wide.
Marc-Antoine Fortune puts the ball past Jan Vertonghen before pretty much running into the centre-back. Mike Dean seems to think it warrants a booking, however, so Vertonghen is on a caution.
A cross-cum-shot from Aaron Lennon gives Ben Foster a scare seconds into the half, but the Baggies keeper doesn't have to make a save.
The second half is underway. Recently retired Spurs legend Ledley King was out on the pitch at half time, getting a rapturous standing ovation from the home fans as you would expect.
0-0 at the break it is, then. Tottenham had the better of the first half hour, with several speedy attacks from wide areas initially stemming from patient passages of passing play in the middle. Rafael van der Vaart should have at least tested Ben Foster with a side-footed effort on 19 minutes, and Jan Vertonghen and Aaron Lennon both had decent chances either side of the 25-minute mark. West Brom coped well defensively throughout sustained spells of pressure, though, and it was their turn to respond with a lively spell in the last ten minutes or so of the half. More sound defending, however, this time from Vertonghen in particular, made sure it was nothing more than a lively spell. Stay tuned for second half commentary coming up.
An absorbing first half at White Hart Lane finishes goalless.
An excellently-timed challenge from Jan Vertonghen halts Marc-Antoine Fortune's progress in the box. The Dutchman is looking solid now after a couple of nervous moments earlier.
The visitors are having a decent spell as the quality of their opponents' performance takes a dip. Jan Vertonghen has to be alert to cut out a beautifully-weighted pass from James Morrison to Marc-Antoine Fortune.
Sloppy Tottenham passing hands West Brom a chance to break, and Kyle Walker is only just able to head awkwardly back to his keeper under pressure from Marc-Antoine Fortune.
Tottenham Hotspur are keeping the pace of the game slow in midfield when they're in possession. It's only when a break is well and truly on in the final third that they're turning on the pace.
Rafael Van der Vaart can't get the necessary dip on a free kick from 30 yards, only managing to clear the crossbar by a good few yards instead.
As a rumble of thunder is heard in North London skies, no one strikes for Spurs as an Aaron Lennon cut-back from the byline isn't capitalised on.
Steven Reid gets a free kick from distance all wrong as he attempts a curler around the wall. I stress the word 'attempts', as the ball simply carried on its path and missed the goal by a mile.
The referee does produce a card this time, after Youssouf Mulumbu clearly grabs Jermain Defoe with both hands round his waist.
Mike Dean really should book Gareth Bale for a wild, lunging challenge on an opponent, but the man in black chooses to keep the yellow card in his pocket for some reason.
Aaron Lennon steals in at the back post to meet a fizzed Gareth Bale ball. Hats off to Liam Ridgewell who gets a vital block in to divert Lennon's finish away.
A Gareth Bale ball takes a lucky nick off a defender and falls kindly for new man Jan Vertonghen, who must score! He can't keep his half-volley down, though, and West Bromwich Albion are off the hook.
More woe for the Baggies going forward. If anyone had a slight chance of getting on the end of Liam Ridgewell's cross, no one had a chance of getting anyway near Steven Reid's follow-up delivery.
A first real surge forward from West Bromwich Albion sees Graeme Dorrans try to pick out Liam Ridgewell. Kyle Walker tracks back brilliantly to cut out the pass, however.
West Bromwich Albion are definitely playing more of a 4-5-1 than a 4-3-3 with Shane Long alone up front. The service hasn't been there for him at all so far, though, and the Irishman has been surrounded by white shirts whenever the ball has been fed into his feet.
Lovely move from the home side. Patient passing culminates with a peach of a pass from Jake Livermore to take Liam Ridgewell out of the game, that Aaron Lennon latches on to. He pulls back to Rafael Van der Vaart, who should do better with his side-footed effort that doesn't test Ben Foster.
More joy down the right for Aaron Lennon who chooses to go it alone this time, skewing an awkward shot wide from 25 yards or so after being allowed to break forward.
Spurs debutant Jan Vertonghen misplaces a pass before almost getting caught out by a simple ball over the top moments later. With due respect to the Dutch, I imagine the usual pace in the Eredivisie isn't this quick.
Another beauty of a cross - this time from Gareth Bale wide left - somehow isn't met by anyone.
Kyle Walker overlaps Aaron Lennon down the right and fizzes in a dangerous cross, met by Gareth Bale coming in from the left. Bale's effort zips a few yards over the bar.
This is a really positive start from the hosts. Sandro takes a tumble in the box, but was clearly looking for the penalty as the ball got away from him.
Jermain Defoe has a shot blocked before Gareth Bale drills in a low cross from the left. The ball evades everyone, but West Bromwich Albion were exposed there.
Tottenham Hotspur had the third best home record last season, taking 42 points from their games at WHL which only the Manchester clubs bettered on their own patch. Will AVB have the same fortune?
A lucky break for Gareth Bale allows him to scamper to the edge of the box and hit a scuffed shot wide.
The ball's rolling at White Hart Lane.
Peter Odemwingie picked up a minor injury in training, so Marc-Antoine Fortune comes in to the starting XI as his replacement. Graeme Dorrans is ready to start following is absence against Liverpool for family reasons, with Zoltan Gera making way. Full lineup: Foster; Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Mulumbu, Yacob; Morrison; Fortune, Long, Dorrans. Subs: Myhill (gk), Brunt, Rosenberg, Jones, Gera, Dawson, Lukaku.
Jan Vertonghen makes his debut as expected in place of Younes Kaboul, while Rafael Van der Vaart comes in for Gylfi Sigurdsson. Emmanuel Adebayor only makes the bench. Full lineup: Friedel; Walker, Vertonghen, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto; Sandro, Livermore; Lennon, Van der Vaart, Bale; Defoe. Subs: Cudicini (gk), Caulker, Naughton, Jenas, Townsend, Sigurdsson, Adebayor.
A busy season for Mike Dean in 2011/12 saw him referee the second-highest amount of games as a top flight official (48) and issue the joint-second highest amount of bookings (146), in addition to five red cards. The Wirral-based official eased into this campaign by overseeing West Ham's 1-0 victory over Aston Villa and showing just a single yellow card.
Graeme Dorrans is the only West Brom player who could miss out as his daughter continues her recovery from meningitis.
A knee injury to Younes Kaboul means Jan Vertonghen is in line to make his Tottenham debut. Emmanuel Adebayor is also expected to start following his move to Spurs on a permanent basis earlier this week.
West Brom surely gave their critics tipping them for relegation pre-season a shock with a surprise 3-0 win at home to Liverpool in the opening game. The focus after the game has been very much on a nightmare day for Brendan Rodgers' side, which unfairly but inevitably detracts from what was indeed a thoroughly impressive performance from the home team. Maintaining steady progress on a modest budget rather than a complete overhaul of ideals appears to be the plan for Steve Clarke in contrast to his side's opponents today. That same organisation and discipline that Roy Hodgson's side was praised for was still evident last Saturday, yet with an added hint of flair and creativity at times that definitely went down well with the Baggies faithful. Whether notable transfer dealings are in the pipeline or not, you would be wrong to write West Brom off immediately this season.
Andre Villas-Boas says he has learnt from his mistakes of trying to implement change too quickly at Chelsea, however tales from behind the scenes suggest the Portuguese is attempting to significantly stamp his mark at Tottenham already – for better or for worse. Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Newcastle didn't give too much away, as it is when things are settled once the transfer window that we'll really get a glimpse of how AVB hopes to take the club forward. Michael Dawson is the most surprising name apparently deemed surplus to requirements, who could possibly be joined by Brad Friedel, Rafael Van der Vaart and Jermaine Defoe on his way out of White Hart Lane if rumours are to be believed. Replacing experienced and reliable names like these with players of youth and relative inexperience that Spurs have been linked with is most certainly a gamble, but AVB is not someone Daniel Levy would appoint if he had a safety-first approach in mind.
Two teams with new managers that the jury (the media, fans, and possibly the players) is still out on do battle at White Hart Lane today. Tune in from 1430 BST for team news and live text commentary.