West Ham survived a late Tottenham fightback to hold onto a 2-1 victory that sends the Hammers into the top four in the table.
During a first half of few chances, an early goal by Michail Antonio punished Spurs’ slow start to the game after just five minutes.
After the break, Jesse Lingard’s clinical finish doubled West Ham’s lead. From that point on Tottenham were much better, Lucas Moura headed in from a corner and Spurs hit the woodwork twice as Jose Mourinho’s side were beaten for the fifth time in their last six Premier League games.
Happy Hammers
West Ham now climb up into the Champions League places with 45 points from 25 matches. It is a vast improvement from finishing last season with just 39 points. David Moyes’ team once again showed defensive resilience and quality in attack.
The opener came after Jarrod Bowen’s cross caused confusion amongst the Tottenham defenders and Antonio, returning from injury, scored from close range, smashing the ball home at the second attempt after Hugo Lloris kept out the first effort. Tottenham created their first chance of the match after some superb running by Erik Lamela, who picked up the ball and carried it past two West Ham players, then doing his trademark ‘ball roll’ to get past Declan Rice to set up Harry Kane, whose shot lashed over the bar.
Spurs Resurgence
The first half was an overall low key affair, with West Ham in control and restricting Tottenham to only two shots on target, with the first one coming in the 42nd minute, when Lamela strode onto a Sergio Reguilion cut-back, but his effort was well saved by Fabianski in goal for West Ham. Spurs finished the half the stronger too, with Kane next to test Fabianski, but the Polish international kept out the effort and saw West Ham go into the break a goal ahead.
HT West Ham 1-0 Spurs
Rapid Out the blocks again
West Ham came flying out the blocks again at the start of the second half, with the resurgent Lingard combining with Pablo Fornals down the West Ham left. The former smashed the ball past Hugo Lloris for his third of the season, which after a VAR check was given, and gave ‘The Irons’ a two goal buffer.
Misery for Mourinho
Gareth Bale was subbed on for Lamela at half time and it was the Welshman who assisted Moura’s goal with the Brazilian rising highest at the near post to flick the header past Fabianski and pull Spurs back into the contest.
Spurs were the side looking most likely to score again, and Kane broke away down the right with another substitute Dele Alli and Heung Min-Son free in the middle, but a superb bit of defending by Declan Rice saw the ball go back out to Kane who cut the ball back to the edge for Bale who sent a crashing shot onto the crossbar. Spurs were to hit the post late on again, as Coufal’s clearance cannoned back off Son and looped up onto the post and away. That was the last chance for Spurs who fell to defeat again.
Spurs defended sloppily and were not clinical in front of goal. They had had 20 shots but just four were on target (the same number as West Ham).
Post Match Interviews
West Ham manager David Moyes speaking to BBC MOTD: “It is a great result for us. Tottenham are one of the top sides and have fantastic players.” He continued, “I think we can play much better. The players have been finding ways to wrestle points off the opposition.”
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho speaking to Sky Sports: “I feel sad, obviously. I feel the result should have been a different one from what we played especially in the second half. He also said “we started the game with a mistake and started the second half with another one. The team in the second half was trying absolutely everything. We had chances.”
Up Next
West Ham travel to top of the league Man City while Spurs play Wolfsberger in the Europa League before hosting Burnley next weekend.
