Nuno Espirito Santo has revealed that West Ham are in the market for more new signings in January in their quest for Premier League survival. 

The Hammers ended a run of 10 games in all competitions without a win (D4 L6) after beating Queens Park Rangers in the third round of the FA Cup last Sunday. 

Valentin Castellanos, who joined from Lazio earlier this month, scored the winner in the first half of extra-time, with other new recruit Pablo Felipe also playing his part. 

West Ham's January spending has already hit a reported £47m, and Nuno explained that the team need more new additions if they are to recover from their poor start.

"They [Pablo and Taty] bring us more options," Nuno told West Ham's website. "We are trying to rebalance the squad.

"We still need bodies, but [the QPR win] was a very important day for us."

A London derby is up next for West Ham, with a short trip to face Thomas Frank's Tottenham on Saturday, with both sides in desperate need of a win in the top-flight. 

There is a seven-point gap between the Hammers and 17th-placed Nottingham Forest in the table, and new signing Felipe believes their FA Cup win can be used as momentum. 

"I think the win gives us a lot of confidence to keep fighting for our goals back in the Premier League," Felipe added. 

"We want to continue showing the fight we showed on Sunday, and achieve our goals together. Of course, a win is always good for both the players and the fans.

"We want to continue on this path now, because it's the one we all want to follow. We're all looking forward to Saturday, and we'll be ready."

Tottenham, meanwhile, were dumped out of the FA Cup by high-flying Aston Villa, piling more pressure on Frank, whose job has been under threat in recent weeks. 

And while a change in the dugout may be imminent, one departure that was confirmed by the club was that of sporting director Fabio Paratici, who will join Fiorentina next month.

The Italian had originally left Spurs in April 2023 after his appeal against a two-and-a-half-year ban was rejected by Italy's highest sports court. 

He returned to north London to work alongside existing sporting director Johan Lange in October last year and oversaw a number of notable signings at the club. 

The likes of Richarlison, Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski were all signed during his tenure, and Paratici wished the club well moving forward.

"I want to thank Vinai and the Board of Tottenham Hotspur for accommodating my desire to return to Italy and join Fiorentina," Paratici said in a statement.

"I have loved my time at the club. However, this opportunity, together with the need to be based in my homeland, has led me to this decision.

"Spurs is a club that is very close to my heart. It has great people working for it, who are as passionate about the project as I am and want to bring sustained success.

"I have no doubt that they will achieve that, and I will be watching closely from Italy."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tottenham – Pedro Porro

With a number of Spurs' attacking players unavailable, Porro could be key to their chances of getting a much-needed victory over their city rivals. 

The Spaniard has created more chances (26) than any other player for Frank's men this season, while only Mohammed Kudus (28) has more successful crosses than Porro (26).

West Ham – Jarrod Bowen

During his Premier League career, Jarrod Bowen has played more games against Spurs (13) than any other team, scoring two goals and providing one assist in those games. 

He has been the standout in an underwhelming season for the Hammers, netting six top-flight goals, though he has failed to find the back of the net in his three league matches. 

MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN

Following their 3-0 win at the London Stadium in September, Tottenham are looking to complete the league double over West Ham for the first time since 2019-20.

Spurs have, however, won four of their last 24 top-flight home games (D6 L14), while their two home wins this season are their lowest ever after 10 games in a league campaign.

Six of Tottenham's seven Premier League victories this season have been to nil – they have only won one of their last 21 league games when conceding at least once (D6 L14), beating Leeds United 2-1 in October.

West Ham, meanwhile, are winless in their last 10 Premier League games (D4 L6). It is their longest run without a win since a run of 11 between December 2006 and March 2007, losing 4-3 against Spurs in their 11th game back then.

The Hammers have lost all six of their Premier League London derbies this season. Only two sides in English top-flight history have ever lost 7+ consecutive all-London matches, which came against Fulham (13 from August 2018 to November 2020) and QPR (seven from August 1995 to January 1996).

They have also won just one of their last eight league games against Spurs (D3 L4), beating them 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December 2023.

And the core of their problems have been from set-pieces. West Ham have conceded a league-high 11 headed goals in the Premier League this season, with only Arsenal (nine) scoring more headers than Spurs (eight). Similarly, the Hammers have shipped more goals from corners than any other side (12), with no side scoring more than Frank's side (11).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Tottenham – 60.8%

Draw – 20.6%

West Ham – 18.6%