Soccer Extreme :Tottenham will be seekingtheir third Premier League win on the bounce when they host Everton at White Hart Lane on Saturday.After a fairly slow start to the campaign, Harry Redknapp's men have picked up the pace of late with consecutive victories over Aston Villa and Fulham.
Spurs enter the clash on the back of a remarkable 4-3 UEFA Champions League defeat at Inter Milan on Wednesday night, during which rising star Gareth Bale knocked in a stunning hat-trick.
Redknapp will no doubt be hoping for more of thesame from Bale if he hands the star winger a run out against the Toffees, while the Spurs boss has been granted another boost with the return of goal-scoring ace Rafael van der Vaart.
Everton, meanwhile, will be heartened by their 2-0 triumph over Liverpool in last Sunday's Merseyside derby, which saw David Moyes' side ascend to 11th in the standings.
However, their last encounter at White Hart Lane back in February ended in 2-1 defeat, leaving the Toffees without a win over their North London rivals since November 2008.
Moyes' men have just two wins to their name so far this season, a statistic they will be keen to improve on against their fifth-placed opponents in the capital.
Return
Van der Vaart is near certain to make Redknapp's starting XI as he returns from suspension for Saturday's clash.
The productive Dutchman sat out Wednesday's European defeat following his red card against FC Twente.
Midfielder Sandro, who is ineligible for the group stages of the Champions League, should also come straight back into the side.
Captain Ledley King and Vedran Corluka (both groin) are still out, Younes Kaboul could return from a hamstring injury, while Jermain Defoe, Michael Dawson (both ligament damage), Jamie O'Hara (back) and Jonathan Woodgate (groin) are long-term absentees.
Toffees boss Moyes is short of options in midfield for the trip to the capital due to injury, with Leon Osman definitely out and fellow midfielder Mikel Arteta doubtful.
Osman picked up an ankle knock in last weekend's derby and has been ruled out for four to six weeks.
Moyes was already without Marouane Fellaini (hamstring), Jack Rodwell (ankle) and Ross Barkley (broken leg), while Steven Pienaar (groin) and Louis Saha (calf) are struggling for fitness. (skysports)
Possible starting XIs
Tottenham: Gomes, Hutton, Corluka, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto, Modric, Huddlestone, Jenas, Bale, Van der Vaart, Pavlyuchenko.
Everton: Howard, Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Coleman, Bilyaletdinov, Arteta, Pienaar, Cahill, Yakubu.
Tottenham: Gomes, Hutton, Corluka, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto, Modric, Huddlestone, Jenas, Bale, Van der Vaart, Pavlyuchenko.
Everton: Howard, Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Coleman, Bilyaletdinov, Arteta, Pienaar, Cahill, Yakubu.