West Ham United

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West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui spoke to BBC Match of the Day after West Ham's defeat to Tottenham: "First of all we are very disappointed for our fans. The summary is that they [Tottenham] deserved to win to be fair. We started well and we deserved to take the lead despite their two big chances. We defended well, attacked well and had more chances too

"In the second half we conceded the second goal in an action where we had many players in the box. We have to defend better in that moment as they are a team that make a lot of internal runs, which we knew, and we have to avoid that.

"After that was the bad moment in the match. It is normal that you can concede the second goal but then you cannot dismiss ten minutes, we lost all of our possibility to stay in the game and be competitive."

Biggest concern? "The first is that we lost three points. The second is that we lost a derby and for that we are very sorry for our fans. The third is that if we want to be competitive in the Premier League we need to improve and we need to approach the bad moments with the right mentality."

On challenges at the club: "To overcome the situation and to become a better team and be able to win more matches. it is going to be a hard week for sure because we are frustrated today. But we have to look forward and be ready for the next match against Man Utd.

On the Kudus red card: "I did not see the action back on tv but I think that if the referee reviewed it and decided that it was a red card then I cannot have a doubt. Maybe it is another point to improve, when we suffer in the bad moments we keep calm and fight to the end as a team."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

What did you make of Tottenham’s display?, external

Have your say on West Ham's performance, external

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

There are seven matches that make up Saturday's Premier League action:

• Tottenham v West Ham - 12:30

• Fulham v Aston Villa

• Ipswich v Everton

• Manchester United v Brentford (listen on BBC Radio 5 Live)

• Newcastle v Brighton

• Southampton v Leicester

• Bournemouth v Arsenal - 17:30 (listen on BBC Radio 5 Live)

Kick-off 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week eight, he takes on legendary boxing manager Kellie Maloney.

Sutton's prediction: 3-1

West Ham got the win they needed against Ipswich before the international break, but it was a very different story for Tottenham against Brighton.

It is typical, really, because everyone had been singing Ange Postecoglou’s praises following Spurs’ win at Manchester United the previous week, talking about how he had built a team with an identity... but then they fell apart in the second half against the Seagulls.

I don’t think Spurs’ defeat was down to his style of football, though. It was because of shocking defending, and the way they lost duels all over the pitch.

I am expecting them to bounce back here, helped by the fact that Son Heung-min is in contention after a few weeks out.

I’ve been saying it for a while now, but Tottenham are going to give someone an absolute hiding sooner or later. I don’t think it will happen against the Hammers, but I do think they will win this one easily enough.

Kellie's prediction: Tottenham will be too strong. 3-1

Read the rest of their predictions, and have your own say here

Image source, Opta

With the October international break now firmly in the rearview mirror, Opta Analyst, external have turned their attention to the next four Premier League fixtures.

Here, they have given each team a ranking between 80 and 100 and then found the average to determine to difficulty of the schedule.

Liverpool's opening seven matches were ranked the easiest in the league, but their upcoming four are the fourth-toughest in the division. They will face Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Brighton, with an average opponent strength of 91.4 before the next international break.

Fellow early pacesetters Arsenal also have challenging fixtures, playing Bournemouth, Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea with an average rating of 90.7, while Manchester City's next four against Wolves, Southampton, Bournemouth and Brighton are ranked the third-easiest by Opta.

Chelsea and Brighton have the second-hardest and third-hardest runs respectively, a real test given the promising starts for their new managers Enzo Maresca and Fabian Hurzeler.

At the other end of the table, Leicester - who recently secured their first win of the season against Bournemouth - have a chance to build with the easiest run in the division. They face Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich and Manchester United.

Fellow promoted side Ipswich will hope to pick up their first win of the season during a run of games that is ranked the fifth-easiest.

Image source, Getty Images

Julen Lopetegui has already put West Ham's win over Ipswich Town in the "past" as his side prepare to face Tottenham on Saturday.

The Hammers secured their second win of the season by beating the Tractor Boys 4-1 at London Stadium before the international break.

The three points took them up to 12th in the table, easing the pressure on Lopetegui, who has struggled for results in the early days of his West Ham tenure.

"These matches are the past for us," the Hammers boss said in his pre-match news conference. "Now the present is the more important thing and to be ready for the next challenge.

"We were happy to have the victory, but now we are focused 100% on the next challenge, which will be a very hard challenge against, in my opinion, one of the best teams in the Premier League."

A heavy defeat by London rivals Chelsea followed by a 5-1 loss to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup had led to unrest among some supporters.

Lopetegui acknowledged the expectations of the fans and accepted his team must show togetherness to beat Spurs at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"Our fans will always demand the best from us and this is a good thing for us," he added.

"In the same way they support us always, and we have to be ready to play football, to defend and attack well, to be a strong and solid team. To be able to beat them there is not going to be easy, but this is our aim - always."

Image source, Getty Images

Earlier, we asked you to identify the former West Ham player from their Premier League statistics playing for the club.

The correct answer was Manuel Lanzini.

Guess the former West Ham player from their Premier League statistics at the club:

• Years at club: 2015-2023

• National team: Argentina

• Position: Midfielder

• Appearances: 179

• Goals: 27

Answer will be revealed at 17:00 BST

Do you know who's the fastest Hammer this season?

It is not Jarrod Bowen...

Find out here

Henry Brownsey
BBC Sport journalist

West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Tottenham (kick-off 12:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Lopetegui is uncertain about the availability of his squad after the international break: "We had a lot of players in different countries - we don't have everyone here yet. The last players will be back today and tomorrow. Until the last moment we are not going to be together, which is always difficult to prepare for matches."

• Striker Niclas Fullkrug is the only injury doubt he knows about West Ham originally hoped Fullkrug would be out for only two weeks but he hasn't played for the club since August.

• Lopetegui is hopeful the Germany striker "is going to be ready for the next few matches" but right now "he is out".

• On what has pleased him the most about his West Ham side: "The best thing is the commitment of the players. They work hard and know that to achieve good feelings we have to work very hard every day. Some days you want leadership on the pitch and sometimes it appears naturally - we are trying to encourage this from them."

• He is steeled for a test at Tottenham: "They are one of the best teams in the Premier League - I like them a lot. I think they have big, big intensity and very good players and ideas. We have to be ready because it's an important match."

• On Ange Postecoglou: "He's changed a lot of things [at Spurs]. They have very good players and work well as a team. We have to put the focus in us and be ready to have an answer. We need to be close to perfection to compete."

• Finally, Lopetegui was asked about the standard of English head coaches and why the FA decided to appoint German manager Thomas Tuchel as England boss: "I think the level is very good. It is not my job to choose one [but] English coaches are definitely ready to manage the national team - Gareth [Southgate] did very well in my opinion."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

BBC Sport pundit Fara Williams will be answering your questions, giving her insight and opinion around your club.

So what would you like to ask the former England midfielder?

What can your team achieve after their start to the season? Who has been your best player so far? What does the manager's future hold?

Send in your questions here, external

Image source, Getty Images

We asked you to tell us one thing - good or bad - that no-one is talking about at West Ham.

Here are some of your comments:

Graham: As good a player as Jarrod Bowen is, I would still like to see more strong leadership on the pitch as a captain of this great club. Ideally, that should come from a position that can see the majority of the play ahead of them, such as a central defender or defensive midfielder.

Chris: While everyone is talking about our attack and how to get the best out of our array of options, including Bowen, Kudus, Paqueta and Summerville, it is all a bit quiet about the defence. It was totally overhauled in the summer, but with little effect. We have conceded 11 goals in the league already, meaning we are on track for 60 goals this season. It's not a wholehearted success...

David: We need a new goalkeeper to fit the style Julen Lopetegui is implementing. Areola has been good for us, along with Fabianski, but I can't see it working after watching Areola's distribution last time out. He made me nervous, let alone those playing alongside him. It is certainly something we need to look at in the summer - at the latest.

Joe: Nobody is talking about the fact that if Paqueta gets suspended, it could actually make us a better team.

Frazer: No-one is talking about taking David Moyes back, but I'm not sure that people are convinced by Lopetegui just yet. After the first four or five games it was stirring in the crowd, but the Ipswich result has quelled the murmurings for a while.

West Ham United have opened talks over a new deal for 18-year-old English goalkeeper Fin Herrick. (Football Insider), external

Want more news? Read Friday's full gossip column

Before last week's thrashing of Ipswich Town, there was quite a bit of noise surrounding West Ham and a difficult start for new boss Julen Lopetegui.

A 4-1 win works wonders; however, you need your club best.

So what's the one thing nobody is talking about - good or bad - but should be?

Tell us here, external

Former manager Mark Warburton talks to The Football News Show about how managers can deal with mental health struggles while working at a club and what support there is available to them.

Watch The Football News Show's Mental Health special

Image source, Getty Images

Earlier this week, we asked which players are irreplaceable at each Premier League clubs.

BBC Radio London's Xavier Bird offers his suggestions for West Ham:

Jarrod Bowen: It goes without saying. Superfan Danny Dyer sent a video message to Julen Lopetegui over the summer, requesting the new Hammers boss build the team around his son-in-law. Lopetegui has since made him captain.

Bowen scored 16 times in the Premier League last season, equalling the record set by Paolo di Canio in the 1999-2000 season. There is still a question mark over the fitness of Nicholas Fullkrug, while against Ipswich, Michail Antonio scored for the first time since the 2-2 draw against Liverpool in April.

For now, Bowen remains the main player West Ham turn to for goals.

Edson Alvarez: Alvarez had a very impressive first season with the Hammers, particularly considering he arrived under the daunting expectation of replacing Declan Rice.

The main issue last season for the Hammers was he was essentially their only holding midfielder. They have since brought in Guido Rodriguez, which has helped ease pressure on the Mexico man, but they still lack defensive solidity in midfield when Alvarez is absent - and that is a bit too often given he picks up too many yellow cards.

Alphonse Areola: Areola made a mistake against Chelsea for Nicolas Jackson’s first goal recently, something which really set the tone for the rest of the West Ham performance that afternoon.

For the most part though, he has been very solid between the sticks for the Hammers, and has ultimately staked his claim to a position which had for so long been nailed down by Lukasz Fabianksi.

The problem for West Ham is that Fabianski remains their number-two keeper. Should Areola pick up a significant injury, as Hammers fans feared he might have done when he came off at half time in the defeat to Manchester City, West Ham would be relying on a 39-year-old in one of their most important positions.

Lucas Paqueta: The Brazil playmaker has not been quite right so far this season. Whether a potential ban from football hanging over his head - should he be found guilty of breaching FA betting rules - that should not necessarily come as a huge surprise. His lack of cutting edge on the pitch so far this season has definitely affected West Ham though.

Paqueta is capable of creating something out of nothing, is by far the best passer in the team, and also (not that you would expect it) was a hugely important player in terms of winning the ball back when David Moyes was the manager.

Should there be a lengthy ban, which is something that has gone quiet for the moment, West Ham fans might have to readjust their start-of-season expectations for their side.

West Ham United centre-forward Michail Antonio has now scored the same number of league goals as the combined tally of the 13 strikers brought into the club since his arrival in September 2015.

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton has been discussing his consistent form on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club: "Like any position, there is always competition. A lot of the time, when a manager brings someone else in that plays in the same position, you often question whether you are surplus to requirements.

"It makes you knuckle down, want to show the manager that you are still worth a place, and fight for your shirt - so that is a great attitude to have.

"He is getting on a little bit now, but he still has brilliant attributes.

"He gets his team up the pitch, links up pretty well and has an eye for a goal. It is amazing that he is still up there with all of the competition that has come in.

"Fair play to Antonio for keeping on proving himself season in, season out."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

James Jones
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Michail Antonio was back to his best at the weekend, causing Ipswich a series of problems as West Ham ran out comfortable 4-1 winners at London Stadium.

The Jamaica international netted the club's fastest goal in Premier League history when he converted Jarrod Bowen's low cross on 48 seconds, shaving five seconds off the previous record held by Enner Valencia following his goal against Manchester City in 2016.

It is another record Antonio can add to his West Ham career. His list of accolades and achievements since signing for the club in 2015 is pretty impressive.

He scored the club's first Premier League goal at London Stadium. He is the club's leading Premier League goalscorer (68). He is the joint-highest scorer in Europe alongside Bowen (10). He is the only West Ham player to score four goals in a Premier League game. He the first and only West Ham player to reach 100 Premier League goal contributions (68 goals, 33 assists). He has more London Stadium assists than anyone else (24). And, don't forget, he was the first opposition player to score at Tottenham's new stadium when West Ham became the first away team to win there in 2019.

Recent reports suggest the 34-year-old's time in east London is coming to an end, with the club allegedly willing to listen to offers in January.

If that is true, then it is only right we stop and give thanks to a player who has been incredibly influential to the club's recent history.

He was signed as a winger, spent a considerable spell playing as a right-back and is now the fall-back striker option who just happens to continue to be called upon because West Ham are just so bad at buying strikers good enough to replace him.

If it wasn't for his goals towards the end of the 2019-20 season (scoring eight goals in six games), it is likely we would have been relegated. We then would not have enjoyed the journey that followed - three consecutive seasons in Europe and a first piece of silverware since 1980, our first in Europe since 1965.

When Antonio leaves, he will simply leave as a legend of the club. There is no doubt about it.

Find more from James Jones at We Are West Ham, external

West Ham will price winger Mohammed Kudus out of a move away from the club next summer, despite interest from Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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A VAR related question was put to chief football writer Phil McNulty on Monday's Q&A.

@nubiblue on 'X' asked: Is the new improved VAR working? To me it continues to favour certain clubs.

Phil answered: First of all, I don't believe VAR favours certain clubs and quite honestly, I've not noticed too much difference or huge improvement.

Maybe a little less interference but I confess I lost a lot of faith in VAR after initially being a strong advocate.

I would be happy with semi-automated offside and line technology.