Tottenham responded to their “worst defeat” under Ange Postecoglou with a brilliant second half display to secure a 4-1 victory over West Ham at home. In their first match since surrendering a two-goal lead against Brighton, Tottenham went behind at home versus the Hammers with Mohammed Kudus arriving at the back post to turn home a Jarrod Bowen pull back.
Spurs had been dominating possession and stepped up the tempo after going behind. Dejan Kulusevski was a bright spark and pulled the hosts level with an inside run and strike from the right wing.
1-1 was the half-time score and the match seemed like a close contest. The second half was anything but. Son Heung-min slipped a fine ball into the box for Destiny Udogie to set up Yves Bissouma’s goal before an unfortunate own goal extended Tottenham’s lead.
Having been involved in the previous two goals Son then drifted into space on the left and finished off a fine solo run to put the game out of West Ham’s reach. Kudus was visibly frustrated and let that show late in the game by collecting a red card.
Tottenham's Tactical Masterclass: How Ange Postecoglou Changed the Game
A potentially big call from Ange Postecoglou came at half-time when he replaced James Maddison with Pape Matar Sarr. Dejan Kulusevski thinks that was a turning point in the match as Spurs went on to score three more goals and win the game.
He said: “It’s hard to do both things [attack and defend] all the time and it was good to get Pape in, he changed the game for us.”
Tottenham had 12 corners in the first half against West Ham, only against Aston Villa in December, 2012 (15) have they had more against a side on record (since 2003-04). Indeed, it’s the most of any Premier League side since Manchester City against Manchester United in March last season (also 12).
Tottenham created 12 chances in that first half with only two of them on target. West Ham managed five with two troubling the goalkeeper. Spurs have controlled possession by 62% to 38% and the fans want more from the home team.
West Ham’s Meltdown: Kudus Sent Off, Hammers Implode
West Ham forward Mohammed Kudus was sent off after taking out three Tottenham players in a matter of seconds in an extraordinary meltdown in the London derby.
Kudus fired West Ham into the lead in the first half but the Hammers imploded after the break, conceding three goals in a seven-minute collapse to trail 4-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Ghana international appeared to kick out twice at Micky van de Ven after the Spurs defender fell onto the ball, sparking the melee in which Kudus would lose his head. The Hammers are down to 10-men.
Spurs Fans Rejoice: A Much-Needed Win
Tottenham’s tally of 10 points from seven games is their lowest at this stage of a top-flight season since 2008-09 under Juande Ramos. The proof will be in the pudding. It is important that we reflect on that game in the way we should. It is not like it’s out of our reach if we replicate what we did in the first half.
Tottenham forward Dejan Kulusevski was awarded the Player of the Match and spoke to TNT Sports saying: “First half was tough because you cannot always be 100% physically. They did good and they scored but, when I scored, I knew we were going to win. When we play good we are unbelievable but we have to defend much better. The balance was not good enough, we have to improve that for the next game. When everything is clicking we can score four goals.”
The Future: Spurs Look Ahead
Ange Postecoglou spoke to TNT Sports about his team bouncing back from their defeat to Brighton. He said: “The proof will be in the pudding. It is important that we reflect on that game in the way we should. It is not like it’s out of our reach if we replicate what we did in the first half. It is a great motivator as we know what a win will do four our fans. We need them behind us and we can get their energy going if we get a positive result today.”
The victory was still the tale of two subs - or really four. Spurs had been beginning to get on top towards the end of the first half, with Dejan Kulusevski having equalised Kudus’ own opening strike. There was still more that could be done, though, especially given that James Maddison had been quite ineffective. That was particularly so at corners. Postecoglou decided to bring on Pape Matar Sarr for Maddison and Spurs almost immediately overran West Ham. Yves Bissouma had scored within minutes.
Tottenham Hotspur FC 4 - 1 West Ham United FC
Sometimes, well, you can actually change the players rather than the manager. At least for one match. In a game where both coaches were under some pressure, Ange Postecoglou was proactive with his own replacements, while Julen Lopetegui paid for his indecisiveness. The wonder is whether the Basque will even be at West Ham by the time Mohammed Kudus returns to the team, as the forward is facing at least a three-game ban, after one game here that visibly frustrated him.
