Tottenham Hotspur ran riot against West Ham United at White Hart Lane in what was a sensational London derby. They booked a comprehensive 3-0 win at the London Stadium. The victory capped off a huge moment for the Spurs franchise, who had a dominant all-around effort — specifically in their second half surge. Looking down the table, West Ham are still in trouble. With their last seven home Premier League matches without a win, this is their worst run since 2003.
The game started as intense as we expected to see both teams go to battle. In the second half, Spurs really asserted themselves and became the more dangerous side. It was Summer Signing Pape Mata Sarr who started the scoring, latching onto a corner with a thumping header. His goal opened the floodgates for a monster performance by the home team. Lucas Bergvall doubled the lead soon after, showing his aerial power with another well-placed header to extend the lead. Micky van de Ven put the icing on the cake with a third goal, making Tottenham’s position safe.
West Ham’s Ongoing Struggles
West Ham United has really struggled this season, especially at home. Their form against Tottenham this past weekend would give you a look of skepticism. As it stands, they haven’t won at the London Stadium in their last seven Premier League fixtures. That would be the club’s worst home run since 2003. As a result, both the fanbase and the team’s management are truly worried about the future direction of the team.
West Ham United manager Graham Potter had a pretty accurate assessment of the challenges his team is dealing with. He added, “At the end of the day, the scoreline is a tough one for us. The second half disappeared on us in a hurry. We really proved our attacking intent. We shot ourselves in the foot with an error in the second half. Potter further urged the group to look for positives and create momentum even in the face of their current challenges.”
West Ham’s problems only worsened after the break. Then Tomas Soucek was given a high tackle straight red, adding insult to injury with 15 minutes left. This further depleted the team and prevented any possible comeback against Spurs.
Tottenham’s Resilient Performance
A 10-minute defensive display from Tottenham Hotspur was the only thing that secured their victory on home soil. They’ve shut out three of their last four games letting in just a single goal over that span. Cristian Romero had given the visitors the lead in an exotic first half before his effort was disallowed. If history shows anything, it’s not to allow that obstacle to stand in your path, as Spurs proved.
For Frank, after the game, it was a perfect illustration of exactly how he wants his team to play. “I think West Ham defended very well in the first half,” he said. Really pleased though that it was 2nd half goal that broke the deadlock… but we didn’t stop there, added a second well and then a 3-0 – game over.
The inclusion of West Ham’s new signing and Wonderkid-in-Chief Mohamed Kudus added an additional swirl of interest to the match. In stoppage time of the match, Kudus set up the Molineux crowd with his amazing spin-o-rama and nutmeg celebration. Spurs supporters went wild with excitement at his moves!
Looking Ahead
As Tottenham Hotspur celebrates this turn-around and hope for the best, they’d do well to avoid just expecting this kind of turnaround going forward. With just one goal conceded in four matches, their defense seems to be hardening under the 2023 USL Coach of the Year’s charge. That resilience and determination displayed by the team will serve them well this weekend and through the busy weeks to come.
At the same time, for West Ham United, it’s all about regrouping after this defeat. With their next fixture approaching, Potter’s focus will be on addressing the issues that have plagued his team and fostering a stronger connection among players. The message is clear: patience is needed as they work towards improvement.
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