West Ham took on Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Saturday evening in what was perhaps their biggest game of the season to date.
Spurs were still unbeaten and looking strong near the top of the table and West Ham still looking to get their season going. Slaven Bilic made a few changes to the side that drew with Stoke City a fortnight ago, with Darren Randolph replacing Adrian in goal after the Spaniards mistake which led to the Stoke equaliser, and Diafra Sakho coming in for his first appearance of the season to lead West Ham's attack.
Both teams started strongly and it was clear to see that it was a game which both sides were desperate to win. The home side thought they had got themsleves in front when Christian Eriksen fired the ball home but the goal was disallowed for offside, much to the away side's relief. West Ham were going forward in numbers and were looking dangerous when Manuel Lanzini picked up the ball in the final third looking to make things happen. With the half hour mark approaching, West Ham won a corner which resulted with the opening goal. The cross found the head of Cheikhou Kouyate which rifled against the crossbar which then fell into the path of Winston Reid. The skipper then fired the ball across the box which found Michail Antonio and he powered the header past Hugo Lloris.
The sides went into the break with the score still 1-0 and a response was expected from the home side after half time. A response was exactly what happened as Danny Rose crossed into Vincent Janssen on the left hand side, the Dutchman's effort was then saved by Randolph but Harry Winks, on his first premier league start, was on hand for the rebound and put Spurs level. Not the start which West Ham would have been hoping for after the break.
Chances were few and far between after this until the 67th minute when Dimitri Payet delivered a corner and Janssen pulled down Reid in the area and the Hammers were awarded a penalty. Lanzini stepped up in Mark Noble's absence and slotted the ball away very nicely into the bottom corner and left Spurs with a lot of work to do if they were to get the win.
Spurs pressed forward in search of the equaliser and with time running out, Heung-min Son crossed the ball in from the left hand side hard and low across the area, Randolph only managed to get a finger tip on it but Harry Kane was left unmarked and he slotted the ball home into an empty net.
The draw was looking very likely now but Spurs were still pushing forward trying to get the winner and they were gifted it in the end when Havard Nordtveit's trailing leg brought down Son in the area and the home side had a penalty. Kane stepped up and fired it past Randolph who got a hand to it but it didn't prevent the ball going into the bottom corner.
West Ham's woes weren't spared there as Reid picked up a second booking in the last minute for a foul on Kane and he was sent off, meaning that he will miss next weekend's game against Manchester United.
An agonising defeat for the Hammers as they definitely deserved a lot more. Bilic will be looking for a strong response to an encouraging performance at Old Trafford next Sunday.
Goalkeeper and Defence
Darren Randolph (7 out of 10) - The Irishman justified his starting place over usual number one Adrian. He made some very important saves in the game and even though he conceded three goals, he couldn't have done too much about them. Will most probably keep his starting place against United next week.
Winston Reid (8) - He was a brick wall at the back. Nothing was getting through him and he won all of his individual battles. It was a massive shame to see him get sent off in the final seconds of the game and he will be extremely missed in the next game.
Angelo Ogbonna (7) - He was solid at the back for most of the game. He maybe switched off a tiny bit for the second goal as Kane was allowed too much time and space to slot the ball home but it was a good performance from the usually very reliable centre half.
Cheikhou Kouyate (7) - He looked very solid at the back and worked well with Ogbonna and Reid. He recovered well from a clash of heads in the first half and was a big asset to the side. He had a disappointing start to the season by his standards but he is going from strength to strength as each week goes by.
Midfield and Attack
Michail Antonio (8) - He has had an average past month or so by his standards but he looked back to his best against Spurs. He gave Rose a lot to think about, tracked back extremely well and even got himself his sixth headed goal of the season. It was clear to see what impact he has on this West Ham side when he is on form.
Pedro Obiang (7) - It was another very composed performance from the holding midfielder. He rarely got beat in his individual battles and organised the middle of the park very well. He kept up his impressive run of performances which saw him being awarded with the clubs player of the month award in October.
Aaron Cresswell (7) - He was very good when linking up with Payet on the left hand side and did his defensive duties well most of the time. Could maybe have got closer to Kane for the second goal which would have prevented the equaliser but there wasn't too much to be sad about with his performance.
Manuel Lanzini (8) - The tricky playmaker was excellent when pushing forward. Most of West Ham's attacking play went through him and Spurs didn't know how to deal with him. He also stepped up to take the penalty in a very important moment and slotted home excellently.
Dimitri Payet (7) - The Frenchman had an average game by his standards but still produced moments of class when he needed to. It was clear to see from the off that Spurs were putting extra focus on stopping him and that is maybe why he struggled to shine at times. The Hammers definitely looked a stronger side with him on the pitch though.
Andre Ayew (6) - It was a performance of no real spark for the clubs record signing. He wasn't bad but he didn't look sharp enough and his involvement was limited. He definitely needs time to adjust to his new team mates as he hasn't played many games because of injury. There are positive signs there.
Diafra Sakho (6) - Like Ayew, his involvement was very limited. He could have maybe pressed a lot more when Tottenham had the ball and looked to make things happen when either in possession of the ball, or when Payet or Lanzini were looking to put the ball through. It was his first game since May so he was bound to lack that match sharpness.
Substitutes
Simone Zaza (6) - He had his moments and definitely brought something to the game but it wasn't enough. He could have had an assist when he put Payet through in the second half but the Frenchman couldn't capitalise. Time is running out for the Italian.
Edimilson Fernandes (7) - He looked good and solidified things when attacking and defending. He rarely loses the ball and always looks for the pass rather than clearing his lines needlessly. He is one of the bright sparks from West Ham's somewhat disappointing summer transfer business.
Havard Nordveidt (NA) - He was only on since the 84th minute but gave away the penalty which led to the winning goal by needlessly going to ground instead of staying on his feet and holding Son where he was. As a defensively minded player, he should have known better.