Tottenham Hotspur play host to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon still looking for their first league victory at Wembley Stadium.
Bournemouth make the trip to North London sitting in the relegation zone, with no points and one goal being registered from their three matches on the road this season.
Tottenham Hotspur
© Offside
After failing to beat the likes of Burnley and Swansea City, much of the attention ahead of Spurs' game with Bournemouth will inevitably be placed on their ongoing wait to win a top-flight fixture at Wembley, but a victory at the national stadium is surely only around the corner.
Mauricio Pochettino's side enjoyed an excellent September, with six wins and 17 goals being registered from seven games in all competitions and Harry Kane showing a ruthless streak in the final third.
Spurs were deserved 3-1 victors when they hosted Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, but the result remains the sole highlight in front of their own supporters since leaving White Hart Lane.
Pochettino will be keen not to place too much significance on Wembley, but it is a streak which needs ending sooner rather than later if the club are to maintain any hopes of challenging for the Premier League title.
Spurs already trail by five points - a margin which will be increased to eight should Manchester United defeat Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday lunchtime - and it is imperative that a convincing win is recorded before the trip to the Bernabeu to face Real Madrid in Europe.
Kane has netted 15 goals for club and country this season, but the Cherries must also take notice of both Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli, who have four goals and three assists between them without really hitting the heights of last season.
Recent form: LDWDWW
Recent form (all competitions): WDWWWW
Bournemouth
© SilverHub
Before the international break, Bournemouth were beginning to show signs of improvement after a torrid start to the season, but Eddie Howe's side still remain in the relegation zone ahead of a trip to one of the division's top teams.
Howe will remain bitterly disappointed with having only recorded four points this season, but a win and a draw against Brighton & Hove Albion and Leicester City respectively have both come in their last three fixtures.
It is reason for cautious optimism, but the south coast outfit are still struggling for goals, an area which was supposed to be their strongest after the acquisition of Jermain Defoe from Sunderland.
The 35-year-old still only has one league goal to his name in 436 minutes, while Joshua King's return of one goal has come in 619 minutes with the Norwegian attacker not replicating his strike-rate of the second half of the 2016-17 campaign.
Bournemouth have been boosted by the recent return of Callum Wilson after a serious knee injury, but Howe will not throw his first-choice striker straight back into the limelight.
Howe deserves credit for tightening up his backline - with just three goals being conceded in four outings in all competitions - but it will take their performance of the season to prevent Kane, Alli and Eriksen wreaking havoc this weekend.
Recent form: LLLWLD
Recent form (all competitions): LLWWLD
Team News
© Offside
Pochettino is able to call upon Serge Aurier after the Ivorian completed a one-match ban for his sending-off against West Ham United.
However, the match is likely to come too soon for Victor Wanyama, while Danny Rose and Erik Lamela are not in contention as they continue their recovery from long-term injuries.
Harry Winks could be retained in midfield after being handed his England debut last weekend.
As for Bournemouth, Howe is likely to be without both King and Ryan Fraser, who both sustained injuries while on international duty with Norway and Scotland respectively.
Defender Brad Smith will also be absent after picking up what Howe has described as a "nasty injury".
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen; Trippier, Dier, Winks, Davies; Eriksen, Alli, Kane
Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Begovic, A.Smith, Francis, Ake, Daniels, L.Cook, Surman, Arter, Stanislas, Ibe, Afobe
Head To Head
Saturday's fixture will represent just the sixth time in which the two clubs have faced each other in a competitive match, with Spurs claiming three wins and Bournemouth emerging victorious on one occasion.
Bournemouth prevailed in the first-ever game between the teams in 1957 but since their promotion to the Premier League, just one point has been recorded from four contests.
The Cherries have not scored in their last three meetings with Spurs, while they were never able to score on their previous visits to White Hart Lane.
We say: Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Bournemouth
Despite Spurs' struggles in front of goal at Wembley, that run has got to end somewhere and we feel that Kane and co will end their frustration this weekend. Bournemouth have not been good enough both at the Vitality Stadium and on the road, and we expect Pochettino's men to take advantage.
Darren Plant
