Tottenham vs west Ham result on yesterday’s game
In a season unsuited for grand statements on a team’s worth or destiny, there will be a temptation to keep conclusions at arm’s length when assessing West Ham’s 2-1 win over TottenhamHotspur. After all, it was here at the London Stadium that Jose Mourinho got his Spurs tenure up-and-running in 2019 with a convincing performance in a 3-2 win that suggested promising times ahead.
But as Mourinho suffered defeat in his 15th defeat in his 50th Premier League match in charge, a defeat inflicted upon him by David Moyes for the first time in 16 meetings, perhaps it was worth delving deeper into this. Not just of another Spurs performance devoid of dynamism and the kind of snap passing that made them such a tantalizing shout for unlikely champions a few months ago. But of West Ham’s emergence as a club shaking off their basket case ways, if only for the moment.
Goals from Michail Antonio and Jesse Lingard gave them a much-deserved win to take them into the top four, as their unlikely Champions League qualifying odyssey moves that little bit further along. Lucas Moura’s header threatened to be the start of a comeback that never materialized, thanks to some dogged resistance to hold onto this 12th victory of the campaign. Spurs, meanwhile, remain marooned on 36 points in ninth, wondering whether to stick or twist on a man who promised them results if nothing else but has now returned five league defeats in the last six.
Both teams had question marks over their premier center-forwards, though there was no surprise to see Antonio and Harry Kane leading their respective starting XIs. The hint of “will they, won’t they” in the week just kept the content wheel turning. But it took just five minutes for something worthwhile involving one of these two. As demoralizing a start as it was for Spurs, and Mourinho has given it was the first time aside under his care have conceded in the opening five minutes of both halves in the Premier League, it did mean there was most of the half to make amends. And when Lucas headed in at the near post from a Bale corner, a healthy 26 minutes remained to try and draw level.
Kane puffed out his chest and began to assert himself. He almost produced the second of his own accord, finding space on the edge of the box but sending a left-foot shot wide of the far post. And it looks for all the world that he had put in the equalizer with a cross from the right to two seemingly free team-mates in the middle. One of those was Dele Alli, thrown up by Mourinhowith 13 to go, sliding in to tap home. Declan Rice, though, had other ideas, matching Alli’s stride and getting in ahead of him to clear. The ball made it back to the Spurs striker, who played a neat pass to the edge of the box for Bale, whose tremendous volley skimmed the top of the bar.
Somehow, the claret and blue rear-guard held firm, even as relentless pressure threatened to breakdown the doors for a second time. All 11 of West Ham were within spitting distance of their goal as the fourth official raised his board to show five minutes of added time. And all bar one were left motionless as Vladimir Coufal’s attempted clearance rebounded off Son and floated tantalizingly over the despairing goalkeeper and off the far post. It was then, perhaps, that West Ham knew. Those breaks of the ball are usually the kind that goes against them in this situation. The punchline usually arrives late and at their expense. Well, not here. Not now. And maybe not for the rest of the season as they wrestle with the unfamiliar feeling of sitting pretty in fourth.
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