West Ham United have been dealt yet another blow in their Premier League survival fight after news emerged that Leeds United forward Noah Okafor will miss Monday night’s clash against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Swiss attacker had originally been expected to miss the Hammers’ FA Cup quarter-final against Leeds earlier this season, but made a rapid recovery, featuring on the day before embarking on a remarkable run of six goals in seven appearances.
Leeds Confirm Huge Injury Blow
Leeds assistant manager Edmund Riemer took the pre-match press conference in place of first-team coach Daniel Farke and confirmed Okafor would miss a game which could have serious implications on West Ham’s Premier League future.
And to put it simply, Nuno Espírito Santo really needs to match Tottenham’s result this weekend — and ideally better it.
Arsenal Challenge Already Massive
Unfortunately, the odds were already heavily stacked against West Ham considering Arsenal arrive at the London Stadium on Sunday as arguably one of the best teams in Europe right now.
Leeds were expected to be highly motivated against Roberto De Zerbi’s side because, despite climbing above the Hammers and out of the relegation zone, Spurs can still mathematically catch the Yorkshire club.
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But make no mistake about it — losing Okafor is a huge setback for Leeds.
Spurs Continue To Get The Rub Of The Green
And from a West Ham perspective, it just feels like the latest in a long line of things that have fallen Tottenham’s way in recent weeks.
Whether it’s Aston Villa rotating half their team, injuries to opponents or momentum suddenly swinging in their favour, Spurs seem to be getting every break at exactly the right time.
Meanwhile, West Ham are left needing to produce something special against Arsenal just to keep pace.