Key events
76 min Spurs still want more. Kilman makes a vital lunging tackle on Johnson on the edge of the area, then Werner’s header from Porro’s deep cross is pushed away by Areola. Not sure whether it took a deflection; if not it was a fairly comfortable save.
73 min Apparently Spurs’ third has gone down as an Areola own goal, which is a bit strange.
72 min A misjudgement from Van de Ven allows Kudus to lead a West Ham break. They faff around for a bit, allowing Spurs to get back, but then Kudus curls a good shot from distance that is pushed away to his right by Vicario. He did well because it came through a crowd and bounced awkwardly just in front.
71 min: West Ham substitution Konstantino Mavropanos replaces poor old Guido Rodriguez, who worked extremely hard to keep West Ham in the game for the first 50 minutes.
70 min: Spurs substitution Timo Werner replaces Son Heung-min, who was increasingly magnificent on his return to the side.
69 min “Ange Postecoglou’s teams seem, to me, to need adversity to work,” says Kári Tulinius. “When things go too well, the intensity drops, the players run slower, take time to ponder, and their opponents are free to make use of the vast acres of space that Angeball leaves unoccupied all across the pitch. But when things are going wrong, that extra burst of energy that comes with panic allows the players to cover that extra yard, to fizz that unexpected pass, to shoot without thinking. It might be better for teams to let Spurs score two early on, and then go for broke in the second half.”
Heh, that’s an interesting theory. Sometimes I think the opposite, certainly against really good teams – that they can get deflated if there’s no eye in the opposition needle.
67 min Soler, just on as sub, is booked for something or other.
67 min: Good save! Areola dives low to his right to repel Johnson’s shot, an excellent save, and Solanke just can’t get to the loose ball in front of goal.
66 min “Being a Spurs fan nowadays is a strange thing,” writes Matthew Carpenter-Arevalo. “When we’re losing 1-0 you’re always confident they’ll get an equalszer, but when they’re 3-1 up you’re fretting they might throw it away. Still prefer this drama to the Mourinho/Conte drama.”
As a neutral I feel the same. But I do miss the rants and the alibis.
65 min Now Kulusevski curls not far wide from the edge of the area. Spurs look like scoring every time they go forward.
62 min: Off the line by Udogie! West Ham want a penalty for handball. The ball ricocheted across the six-yard box to Kudus, whose shot hit the arm of Udogie – which was held tight to his chest – and flew behind for a corner. There’s a VAR check but no penalty.
61 min: Son hits the post! Spurs are rampant. Rodriguez did well to cut out a through pass but could only divert it to Son, who cracked a first-time shot from the edge of the area. It beat Areola, hit the inside of the post and rolled across the goalline to safety.
60 min: Triple substitution for West Ham Lopetegui actually wanted to make this change at 2-1. Crysencio Summerville, Edson Alvarez and Carlos Soler replace Soucek, Antonio and Lucas Paqueta.
Son has been quite brilliant since half-time and now he’s made it 4-1. It came on the break, with Wan-Bissaka caught miles upfield. Son ran at the backpedalling Todibo, dizzied him with a couple of stepovers, shifted the ball onto his left foot and rifled it through Areola at the near post. Lovely goal.
GOAL! Spurs 4-1 West Ham (Son 60)
The main man is back!
56 min Soucek is booked for throwing Johnson off the field. That was a bit weird.
Son collected the ball in the centre circle, flicked another lovely outside-of-the-foot pass out to Kulusevski and kept running. Kulusevski cut inside on the edge of the area, then reversed a pass to give Son a clear chance. His shot was fairly tame but Areola could only push it against Todibo, after which it dribbled miserably into the net.
GOAL! Spurs 3-1 West Ham (Todibo 55 og)
An unlucky own goal from Jean-Clair Todibo gives Spurs a two-goal cushion.
Edit: the own goal has since been credited to Alphonse Areola.
54 min Kudus breaks dangerously, reaching the edge of the area before hitting a shot that is blocked. He should really have played in Wan-Bissaka to his right, but he didn’t, and now…
Son, on the touchline, flicked a delicious out-of-the-boot pass to the underlapping Udogie in the area. He turned back outside Wan-Bissaka, near the byline, and laid the ball back to the onrushing Bissouma on the edge of the area. Bissouma hit his shot into the wrong but it wrongfooted Areola, who expected him to go across goal, and bobbled into the net.
GOAL! Spurs 2-1 West Ham (Bissouma 52)
Of all the goalscorers!
51 min Udogie enlivens the crowd with a shot from the edge of the area that deflects behind for Spurs 482nd corner. Son takes, Soucek stoops to head clear at the near post.
50 min “You mention ‘a Pep Guardiola No8’ re Kulusevski in the first half,” says Gary Naylor. “I’m pretty sure about a No10 and a No6, but I can’t be alone in being unclear about a No8. Any enlightenment welcome to someone who used to read FourFourTwo.”
Really? David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne in Pep’s first great City teams are perfect examples of a modern No8. Martin Odegaard, Dominik Szoboszlai, Andres Iniesta, Socrates, Xavi (late period), etc, etc.
49 min It’s been a slow start to the second half from Spurs, and a quiet one from their fans. That’s a surprise because they battered West Ham for the second half of the first half.
47 min Maddison hasn’t looked as natural as Kulusevski in the No8 role but it’s still a surprise to see him hooked at half-time. He’s sitting on the bench, arms folded, with a face like a you know what.
46 min No hay lesion: apparently Maddison was taken off for football reasons.
Spurs substitution Pape Sarr is on for James Maddison in midfield; you’d assume that’s because of injury.
Half-time reading
Half time: Spurs 1-1 West Ham
Spurs are never dull. That was a richly entertaining first half that could easily have finished 3-2. Mohammed Kudus forced a terrific save from Guglielmo Vicario before putting West Ham in front; the outstanding Dejan Kulusevski, playing like a Pep Guardiola No8, drove Spurs forward and eventually scored the equaliser.
45+1 min Another chance for Spurs right at the lot. Romero’s cross reaches Son beyond the far post, but he sees it late and his touch is slightly heavy. That takes him too wide for a shot so he rifles a low cross that is booted away from under the crossbar.
43 min: Great effort from Porro! Kulusevski’s clever flick finds Udogie on the left of the area. He clips a cross back towards the edge of the area, where his fellow Pedro Porro arrives late, reads the bounce and hits a ridiculous scissor-kick that flashes just wide. That would have been some goal.
43 min Paqueta is booked for a tactical foul on Johnson.
40 min Kulusevski wanders over the left, beats Wan-Bissaka and has a shot blocked. He’s been brilliant.
39 min The underlapping Porro whacks a low cross that is desperately cleared by Wan-Bissaka, with Son waiting behind him to score. Spurs’ response to going behind has been admirable; they just keep coming.
West Ham lost the ball in the Spurs half and were immediately in trouble. Maddison broke four v four and gave the ball to Kulusevski on the right. He danced across the edge of the area and reversed a surprise shot which the unsighted Areola could only push onto the inside of the near post. The ball bounced across the line, hit the far post and spun into the net.
GOAL! Spurs 1-1 West Ham (Kulusevski 36)
Spurs are rewarded for their irrepressibility!
