The reports of Spurs’ death following their 1-0 loss to West Ham on Wednesday are greatly exaggerated.
Yes, it was the first chance Spurs had this season to go top of the Premier League table and they ostensibly fumbled it. They remain second, a point farther away from the top of the table thanks to Leicester’s draw with West Brom on Tuesday.
It wasn’t all bad news on Wednesday, however. Arsenal and Manchester City both suffered defeats of their own, with the former’s 2-1 loss at home to relegation threatened Swansea inarguably more humiliating than Spurs’. The Premier League’s top four were left unchanged following the round of matches, and Saturday’s match against Arsenal remains finely poised.
What’s more, Spurs’ loss isn’t something that should inspire a crisis of confidence at any level of the club or its fandom. This wasn’t Spurs acquiescing to an inferior opponent, or a match that was framed by a series of head-slapping mistakes as so many crucial matches have been in recent seasons. Rather, this loss came from an opponent that thoroughly and remarkably outplayed Spurs, and did so by using their own tactics against them.
Slaven Bilić discarded his usually scheme for this West Ham side and re-molded the squad into something uniquely suited to counter Spurs’ strengths. Cheikhou Kouyaté – so often a bane to Spurs in recent seasons – dropped deep into a defensive back three while a line of five midfielders stretched out in front of him.
It wasn’t just that the avenues Spurs so often use through to goal were suitably clogged, though. West Ham’s midfield also aggressively ran down the ball, stealing possession from Tottenham midfielders who are more used to pressing themselves than being pressed. Build up play suffered tremendously, with Harry Kane and Nacer Chadli often left isolated as the most direct attackers in the side. Christian Eriksen and Érik Lamela’s efforts to drop deep and influence play when and where they could were valiant but ultimately futile.
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On the other end of the pitch, Dimitri Payet, Emmanuel Emenike and Manuel Lanzini teamed up to hassle any Spurs attempt to play out from or settle with the ball in defense. Both Toby Alderweireld and Kevin Wimmer were conned into risky situations for which they were eventually punished – perhaps unjustly – with yellow cards. Kieran Trippier’s lack of defensive heft made his flank particularly tempting for West Ham’s attackers, and Ben Davies found himself pinned back more often than not.
All of which combined for perhaps the worst half of football Spurs have played all season. They managed no shots in the first half and continually looked overawed by West Ham’s high press.
This isn’t the first time this season that Spurs have been shown to be vulnerable to their own methods, however. The 2-1 loss to Anderlecht in the Europa League came from broadly similar tactics being used by the Belgian side. They denied any Spurs player time on the ball in their own half, and then aggressively closed down the ball in positions that would be advantageous for them to then transition into attack. Spurs were criticized then for a lackluster effort, but in reality it was a loss created by an inability to overcome the very tactics they usually utilize so well.
Occasionally Premier League opponents have attempted to do the same this season. Days before the Anderlecht loss, Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool held Spurs to a 0-0 draw using a toned down version of the counter-pressing tactics the German had become famous for at Borussia Dortmund. Even lowly Aston Villa had attempted a version of the press weeks later, but were unable to frazzle Spurs enough to not suffer a 3-1 defeat.
So while Bilić’s pragmatic approach to Spurs’ visit wasn’t anything new, it was perhaps the most well realized counter to Spurs yet.
Why is being dismantled any kind of consolation for Spurs? Because what Bilić had his West Ham team did on Wednesday was as surprising as it was impossible to sustain – or replicate. This was possibly the best West Ham performance in a season full of surprising performances, and they still only won 1-0.
What’s more, Spurs came close to making a comeback in the second half. West Ham were never going to be able to keep up the intensity of the first half for the entire match, and predictably quieted down after the interval. They were content to sit back and deny Spurs’ space, but did so without the same level of aggression as they had previously mustered.
Next: Matchday: West Ham 1 - 0 Tottenham
As a result, Spurs’ chances increased and were it not for some fine saves and blocks Spurs would have likely equalized at least. From Mauricio Pochettino’s perspective, this will be a disappointing match – but not one that will alter how he approaches the game or who starts week in and week out. Losses happen, and it’s better to be able to say that Spurs finished the match strongly than otherwise.
It can be hard to see, but there is every reason to believe that Spurs will reclaim the good form that made Wednesday’s match so pivotal in the first place.