West Ham United 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur: Hammers compound Spurs’ woes to go fourth
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Updated 23/02/2021 at 11:54 GMT
Premier League, London Stadium - West Ham United 2 (Antonio 5', Lingard 47') Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Moura 64')
Jesse Lingard of West Ham United celebrates with team mates
Image credit: Getty Images
Goals at the start of each half earned West Ham a 2-1 victory over Tottenham to send the Hammers fourth in the Premier League table.
Michail Antonio made an immediate impact on his return to the side with a close-range finish after just five minutes – with his fifth goal against Spurs meaning Antonio has scored more Premier League goals against Tottenham than against any other side.
Gareth Bale came off the bench at half time to try to turn things around for Spurs, but before he had even had a touch, Jesse Lingard darted through and fired his third goal since joining the Hammers on loan from Manchester United to double his side’s advantage less than two minutes after the break.
Bale did help get his side back in the contest as his corner was headed home by Lucas Moura in the 64th minute, and he almost fired a stunning equaliser late on, only to be denied by the crossbar, but the damage had already been done as Spurs slipped to a fifth defeat in their last six league games.
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Michail Antonio (R) of West Ham United is congratulated by team mate Jarrod Bowen
Image credit: Getty Images
Jose Mourinho will have wanted to see his side make a strong start as they looked to bring an end to their poor recent run, but inside five minutes the visitors conceded another very avoidable goal, with Eric Dier and Hugo Lloris particularly at fault.
It actually took until the very end of the half for Mourinho’s men to have an effort on target, with Lukasz Fabianski making two smart saves in quick succession to keep his side in front at the interval.
Before Bale had even had a sighter, Lingard made it two after a lengthy VAR check, with the flag going up initially against Pablo Fornals. Replays showed he was level so a second round of celebrations began. Lingard has now scored three goals in four league games under David Moyes at West Ham, as many as he scored in his 36 games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at United.
Bale continued to be a real asset to Spurs as Lucas flicked home the Welshman’s corner at the near post, before Spurs rattled the woodwork twice in search of a leveller, first via the left boot of Bale and then a fortunate looping effort off Heung-min Son, but it wasn’t to be as Spurs stay ninth, nine points off the top four.
TALKING POINT – Bale needs more prominent role
He returned to Tottenham to much fanfare in the summer, but his role for Spurs in this year-long stay has been bit-part to say the least.
Gareth Bale was again on the bench from the start at West Ham, but when he came on, he helped transform Spurs as an attacking force.
He set up one, almost scored another, with his crosses causing real panic in the West Ham rearguard. He is too good to be kept in the wings, especially when things are not exactly going well for Spurs on the pitch.
MAN OF THE MATCH – Tomas Soucek
A warrior-like effort from the West Ham defensive midfielder. He was in the wars on several occasions, but got up and continually put his body on the line for the cause.
PLAYER RATINGS
West Ham: Fabianski 8, Coufal 7, Dawson 8, Diop 7, Cresswell 7, Rice 8, Soucek 8, Bowen 7, Fornals 6, Lingard 8, Antonio 8... Subs: Benrahma 6, Noble N/A, Johnson 6.
Tottenham: Lloris 5, Tanganga 5, Sanchez 5, Dier 5, Reguilon 5, Hojbjerg 6, Ndombele 4, Lamela 6, Moura 6, Son 6, Kane 6. Subs: Doherty 6, Bale 8, Alli 6.
KEY MOMENTS
5’ - GGGGGGOOOOOOOOAAAALLLLL!!! West Ham 1-0 Tottenham. On his return to the side, Antonio pokes home the opener! What a mess from a Spurs point of view. Jarrod Bowen whips the cross in, Eric Dier and Japhet Tanganga fail to attack it, Hugo Lloris makes a mess of trying to gather, and Antonio pokes home from close range. Dreadful defending, poor goalkeeping, alert finishing!
44’ - SAVE! Spurs' first effort on target and it is a fine save from Fabianski to deny Lamela from the edge of the box.
45+2’ - SAVE! Brilliant from Kane to shift the ball out of his feet and rifle one for goal, but Fabianski gets down really well to make another fine save
47’ - GGGGGOOOOOOAAAALLLL!!! West Ham 2-0 Tottenham. Lingard with a brilliant finish to make it two. VAR is having a look after the lineman's flag is raised. This is tight.
49’ - GOAL STANDS! Right call, with Lingard firing his third since arriving on loan from Manchester United. Fornals had been flagged offside as he went for the ball Lingard nudged through, but he was level, as Lingard stole in ahead of his team-mate to score. Hammer blow for Spurs.
64’ - GGGGGOOOOAAALLLLL!!!! West Ham 2-1 Tottenham. Game on! Lucas heads home to get his side back in it! Bale with the corner to the near post, Lucas flicks it on, and it squeezes into the net, flicking the near post en route.
74’ - CLOSE! Brilliant from Kane again to make an attempt out of nothing, but his drilled strike is just wide of the post.
90+2’ - POST! Almost an unbelievable equaliser as the ball loops over Fabianski off Son, comes out off the post and away! Would have been the most fortuitous equaliser!
KEY STATS
- West Ham boss David Moyes has earned his first ever win against José Mourinho in all competitions at the 16th attempt (previously P15 W0 D6 L9) – it was his most matches against a specific coach without ever winning.
- Tottenham Hotspur have lost five of their last league games (W1), only picking up points in a 2-0 home victory against West Brom in this time. Their eight total league defeats this season are José Mourinho’s most since 2015-16 with Chelsea when he was sacked after nine league defeats.
- José Mourinho took charge of his 50th Premier League game with Tottenham today (W23 D12 L15), whilst the 81 points Spurs have picked up under the Portuguese is 14 fewer than he’s managed with any other side throughout his first 50 league games in charge (Man Utd, 95).
- West Ham will spend a night within the top four places in a top-flight campaign after at least 25 matches have been played for the first time since 1985-86 when they finished the season in third.
- José Mourinho has lost 15 of his first 50 league games in charge of Spurs, more than twice as many defeats as in first 50 league games in any other managerial stint with another side.
- West Ham’s Michail Antonio has scored 42 Premier League goals and they have all come from inside the box - in the competition's history, only Tim Cahill (56), Chicharito (53) and Gabriel Jesus (45) have scored more with all of them coming from inside the box.
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