Tottenham Build and Blow Lead as Bale Bubble Bursts

Tottenham Does Everything Wrong

The plan was simple for the second half manage the game and take home three points. Instead Tottenham decided to concede everything and leave with next to nothing from a draw. While a lot will be made of the fact that the goals were all scored after Bale came on the pitch, but the momentum of the match had swung long before Bale walked over the line. Further, it was more the removal of Tanguy Ndombele that changed Tottenham’s control of the match.

Tottenham was already content with conceding possession, but the aggressiveness and pressing of Ndombele and Steven Bergwijn – among others – had really kept West Ham in check. After Ndombele went off, instead of letting Winks step into his role, Hojbjerg push up the pitch to sit behind Kane.

PEH is an excellent reader of the game because he can sit and watch if fold in front of him and react as a deep lying defender. Pushed further up the pitch he loses this advantage and having already played over an hour – and three games over the ‘break – should not have been asked to apply that pressure. Harry Winks could have easily taken on that role and harried the opposition around the pitch.

Instead Mourinho muted Hojbjerg who appeared to be too gassed to apply the necessary pressure and Winks just did not have any presence at all sitting beside Sissoko. Suddenly a game where Tottenham were conceding but managing the pressure went further to one side leaving Spurs in their heels and unprepared for the onslaught to come.