West Ham take on Tottenham at the London Stadium after the international break.
The game is a hugely important one for both sides.
Defeat could spell the end of the road for either Manuel Pellegrini or Mauricio Pochettino.
Both the Hammers and Spurs are extremely low on confidence. West Ham sit in 16th spot in the table, whilst Tottenham are just two places above them.
It could be argued that there hasn’t been a fixture between the two sides in recent history that has meant quite as much as the upcoming clash.
And West Ham’s hopes of beating their bitter rivals will hinge on two key factors…
Michail Antonios potential return
The Hammers have really missed the 29-year-old since he suffered a serious hamstring tear at the end of August.
Antonio’s raw power and pace provides West Ham with something that they do not otherwise possess.
He has caused Tottenham all sorts of problems before, and Pochettino will be hoping that the Hammers winger is not fit to start the game on Saturday.
Pellegrini must play someone in support of Sebastien Haller
The Frenchman has looked totally isolated in recent weeks, and is in the middle of a barren run of form, having scored just one goal in his last nine games for West Ham.
Pellegrini should consider one of two options: Either playing Albian Ajeti alongside Haller or deploying someone like Felipe Anderson in the number 10 role just behind the 25-year-old.
West Ham need to take the game to Tottenham.
And having Antonio back, as well as giving Haller more support will make them a far more potent threat.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
