Tottenham vs. West Ham preview: 5 keys to the match

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LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 23: Sam Byram of West Ham in action during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester City at Boleyn Ground in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /

4. The West Ham right side

Since his arrival, Sam Byram has been a fixture at right back for the Hammers. Unfortunately for fans at the Boleyn Ground, their starlet will be unavailable today due to yellow card accumulation.

Byram picked up his 10th yellow card of the season in West Ham’s 1-0 victory over Sunderland and now must suffer a two match ban. Only three of his cards were actually picked up during his time in the Premier League, but his seven infractions from Leeds carry over as well.

Keep in mind, that Carl Jenkinson, the Arsenal loannee who featured earlier this season at the right back spot for Slaven Bilic, is unavailable due to injury. The same goes for James Tomkins. That gives Bilic an interesting dilemma today.

It’s unclear who Bilic will select to replace Byram in the lineup, but suffice it to say that it will be a downgrade. Byram had been playing really well both in defense and going forward, and Bilic doesn’t have another option who can fill both roles.

He’ll likely have to choose between a completely defensive minded player or moving a wing player back and hoping they defend well enough to get by. No matter which he chooses, it could be a weakness that Tottenham tries to exploit.

Next: 3. Winston Reid vs. Harry Kane

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