Tottenham slumped to a third successive home defeat as goals from Jarrod Bowen and James Ward Prowse extended West Ham’s unbeaten run to six games in all competitions and give them a first win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since April 2019.
Tottenham began as they so often do with a fast start of free-flowing football and intricate attacking display. A deserved opener would come from Cristian Romero who directed an excellent header into the top corner from an out swinging Pedro Porro cross.
Despite Spurs' first half domination, the Lilywhites would not make it count with the Hammers standing firm before producing a fine second half display to steal all three points from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
For Ange Postecoglou and his Tottenham side, it is back to the drawing board after suffering a fourth defeat in five games, all of which they have taken the lead in.
Meanwhile, West Ham do not move up the table but do maintain their impressive momentum which has seen them go unbeaten in six games in all competitions and move one point off Brighton.
Story of the Match
Ahead of Thursday evening’s fixture, Ange Postecoglou chose to make two changes following Spurs’ scintillating 3-3 draw away to Manchester City at the Etihad.
A big boost for injury-depleted Tottenham side was Cristian Romero being brought back into the side, after the centre-back served his three match ban following a straight red card for his challenge on Enzo Fernandez during the Chelsea game back on the 6th of November.
Elsewhere, Bryan Gil was named on the bench as Pierre-Emile Hojberg came back into the side for his first start since the 2-1 loss to Wolves., with Dejan Kulusevski set to join Brennan Johnson and Son Heung-Min in the front three.
In the opposite dugout, David Moyes made just the one change as his side looked to continue their unbeaten record of three games before Thursday’s fixture.
Kurt Zouma returned to the starting eleven to partner Nayef Aguerd in the centre of defence, after the club captain missed Sunday’s game due to a break-in at his home.
The only absentee for the Hammers was Michail Antonio, with Moyes choosing to name Mohammed Kudus as the central striker while Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen would play either side of him in what was set to be dynamic front three.
Romero's header the difference maker for dominant Tottenham
Tottenham made a lively start when Destiny Udogie won the ball high up the pitch in the first minute founding Son who thread the ball through to Kulusevski who could not manage to get his shot away before an on-rushing Lukas Fabianski smothered any attempted effort.
Free-flowing passing and quick interchanges between the Spurs players would characterise the opening stages as the Lilywhites looked to get off the mark early at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
In the 11th minute, Spurs’ early hardwork would pay off when the returning Cristian Romero directed an excellent header into the top corner for his first goal at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. An outshining corner from Pedro Porro was swiftly met by Romero who jumped higher than both his markets to get Tottenham off to a perfect start in the London derby.
Tottenham continued to surge forward, camping the hammers into their own box for large swathes of the first half as the Lilywhites looked to carve West Ham open with their intricate displays of passing.
However, West Ham stood resolute and on the stroke of the half hour mark an adventurous run from Emerson would result in Kudus being sent in on goal only to fire well wide before the offside flag went up to spare the blushes of the Ghanaian.
Despite close efforts from Johnson and Giovani Lo Cleso, it would be another set piece which almost doubled Tottenham’s advantages. After the initial cross was headed clear, Lo Celso’s recycled ball would be punched clear to land at the feet of Kulusevski who directed a powerful effort goals bound to see it blocked before Yves Bissouma fired over the top from the rebound.
A rare venture forward from West Ham would give them their best opportunity to find an equaliser. Kudus outmuscled Ben Davies on the left hand side before sending in a well placed cross into the box to be met by Paqueta who could only direct his header downwards into ground and well wide of Vicario’s net.
Two minutes into the first half stoppage time a powerful run from Kulusevski in from the right hand side would see Lo Celso direct a tempting ball into the box with Zouma lucky to get away with not scoring an own goal, as the ball smashed off his own crossbar, bringing a close to what was a lively first half in which Romero’s early header was the difference maker.
West Ham produce much-improved second half display
The second half would begin in the same fashion as the first with Spurs pushing up high and looking to create more goalscoring opportunities. However, it would be the Hammers who would get the next goal of the game, seemingly out of nothing.
A hopeful long ball forward from Paqueta found Bowen who after holding off Romero teed up Kudus with the attacker directing a shot goal bound to see it blocked by Romero, however, the subsequent rebound would fortuitously fall at the feet of Bowen for the Englishman to fire past Vicario and level the scoreline.
West Ham’s equaliser would see Moyes’ side enjoy a confidence boost, with both Paqueta and James Ward-Prowse forcing Vicario into smart saves as the Hammers stepped up their play by a gear to force Spurs onto the backfoot for the first time in the game.
In search of a goal, Postecoglou would consult the bench as the game entered the final 20 minutes, bringing on Richarlison and Oliver Skipp as Hojberg and Lo Celso made way. The changes would almost pay their dividends when Porro placed an excellent ball into the backpost and onto the head of Richarlison who nodded the ball just wide of Fabianski’s goal.
Tottenham would stick to their playing style, with the Lilywhites playing intricate football as they looked to find a way back into the game. However, West Ham continued to deny Tottenham any clear goalscoring opportunities with the Hammers looking the more dangerous and lively on the break.
As the game passed the 90 minute mark, Tottenham set up camp in West Ham’s half with the Lilywhites pushing for a late equaliser. However, West Ham once again stood resolute, limiting Tottenham to long range efforts on goal as the Hammers closed out the game to secure a deserved win.
West Ham’s impressive performance lifts them up the table and to one point behind Brighton, with Moyes side set to face Fulham at the weekend as they look to continue their momentum.
Meanwhile for Tottenham, it is back to the drawing board after a fourth loss in five games, leaves them in fifth place and three points behind fourth placed Manchester City.
Player of the Match -Jarrod Bowen
With Michail Antonio out injured, the goalscoring burden for Thursday evening’s game would fall onto the shoulders of Jarrod Bowen. The forward, who usually plays out on the right, found himself in the right place at the right time to give West Ham an equaliser before playing a part in the eventual West Ham winner by closing down Vicario, after the goalkeeper was put into a spot of bother after a poor back pass from Udogie.
Thursday’s goal for Bowen was his tenth goal contribution of the season, with the Englishman hitting the back of the net nine times so far in the league. When Kudus and Paqueta go missing in action, their flair is often replaced by the consistency and finishing prowess of Bowen, who quite often is the difference maker for West Ham.
