Tim Sherwood will take charge of his first Premier League home match as the manager of Tottenham Hotspur, when West Bromwich Albion visit White Hart Lane on Boxing Day.
The former Spurs midfielder, who was appointed as the interim manager following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas last week, impressed club chairman Daniel Levy in his two matches as the head coach and has now landed the post on a permanent basis till the 2014/15 season.
Tottenham have struggled for goals this season and Sherwood has promised to keep the emphasis on attack. The 44-year-old played two strikers up front - Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor - away at Southampton at the weekend and the system paid dividends as they managed to win 3-2, with Adebayor netting twice.
The north London outfit is currently seventh in the league table, four points below the top four, and the new manager will be looking to re-enter the race for the Champions League spots, as soon as possible.
The first challenge that Sherwood faces is to improve Spurs' home form, which is currently the worst among clubs in the top half of the table. The club has won only three of their eight league games at White Hart Lane so far this season, and has lost three of their last five home matches.
Meanwhile, West Brom have also changed their manager in recent weeks, with Keith Downing handed the temporary charge, as the club continue to search for a long-term successor to Steve Clarke.
The Baggies are slipping down dangerously and have managed just one win from their last 11 league matches. The West Midlands side have also lost four of their last five outings and are currently on a seven-match winless streak, which places them just three points above the drop zone.
Team News
Spurs: Aaron Lennon (abdomen) is set to miss out, while Mousa Dembele (ankle) has a late fitness test. Meanwhile, Andros Townsend (hamstring), Jan Vertonghen (ankle), Younes Kaboul (thigh) and Harry Kane (back) continue to remain sidelined, while Paulinho is suspended.
West Brom: Downing has just one injury concern as striker Victor Anichebe is a major doubt for tonight due to a groin problem.
Where to Watch Live
The game is scheduled for an 8.30pm IST start on Thursday night, with Sky Sports HD 1 providing live coverage in India. You can also catch all the action live online by clicking HERE. US viewers click HERE. To catch the action in Australia, click HERE. To live stream the match in the Middle East and North Africa, click HERE.
Expected lineups: Spurs - Lloris; Walker, Dawson, Chiriches, Rose; Lamela, Dembele, Eriksen, Sigurdsson; Soldado, Adebayor
West Brom - Foster; Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgwell; Mulumbu, Brunt; Sessegnon, Morrison, Sinclair; Long
Prediction: 2-1 to Spurs
